Is that Salmon?!

Where is 2012 going!? It’s almost the middle of April and already past Easter! I guess you lose track of time when you are having fun!

Speaking of Easter, I will never forget the “Easter of 2012” because of my dad and his attempt to smoke salmon for the first time ever! I think the picture speaks for itself.  Yep…the salmon should have been taken off the smoker a couple of hours earlier; however, this is how people learn. Every mistake or failure can be turned into a life lesson. 

People often say that failure is unpleasant and something you never want to experience. This is true to some extent, especially looking at it with a short-term view. Someone who experiences a failure shouldn’t look at it is as a short-term problem because in the long run you will benefit from that mistake. Just look at my dad's example.  IF my dad ever attempts to smoke salmon again (which I think he will), he now knows to smoke the salmon for a shorter time period. How does he know this? From his “Easter of 2012” mistake that turned the pink flesh of the salmon into the color of a black charcoal.

I would also like to mention that my dad’s Easter was not a flop; the salmon was edible and tasty but just a little on the dry side. I can’t wait until the next time he attempts to smoke salmon! 

Below is the dry rub recipe my dad used for all of you grilling enthusiasts:

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Honey

1 cup kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns

Steps:

1. Warm the honey to make it thinner and easily spreadable. (May add some water)
2. Mix the kosher salt, sugar, brown sugar, and black peppercorns together.
3. Baste the salmon with a thin layer of honey and sprinkle on the dry ingredient mixture.
4. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours
5. Smoke at 220 degrees F for about 2 hours per pound (not 4 hours like my dad unless you like your salmon crispy)

Which One is Better?

LinkedIn. Identified. BranchOut.

What do these words all have in common? You guessed it…they are all professional networking sites connecting socialites with big name employers such as Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, etc. In fact, a lot of Fortune 500 companies use these sites to recruit new hires. The question is…Which one is better?

Social and Professional Networking Sites

All three have their own pros and cons. LinkedIn launched in May 2003, and has over 100 million users who independently create their own professional profiles. Then came Identified, which launched in 2009 and already has over 50 million profiles created. BranchOut is the newest professional networking site and after its launch in July 2010, it already has accumulated over 400 million users. Talk about rapid growth! How on earth did BranchOut and Identified accumulate all of those users in a short amount of time? 

The answer is simple…Facebook. BranchOut is fully incorporated on Facebook; thus, giving them access to the social media giant’s 850 million+ user platform. But which is better… a professional networking site that uses Facebook to acquire profiles/users (aka - BranchOut) or a professional networking site that isn’t fully integrated with Facebook (aka - LinkedIn)? If you ask me, I would hands down say it is quality over quantity when talking about anything in a professional/job related manner. In my eyes, there needs to be separation between professional networking sites and social networking sites. After all, isn’t there a concept called “work/life balance?” 

For further readings, I recommend the following articles:

"Employers, Get Outta My Facebook"

"Identified Hits 1.5M Active Users, 202MProfiles, But Can It Beat BranchOut (Or LinkedIn)?"

(Speaking of networking, if you would like to learn more about my professional life...check out my LinkedIn profile by clicking here.)

5 Steps to Writing a Killer "Thank You"

Which do you think is more powerful…a resume or a thank you? Both display words expressing who you are as a person, but obviously both are different when it comes to content. A resume is how you land the initial interview, but sending a thank you seals the deal.

Source: A Better Resume

Resumes are pivotal when applying for jobs. They describe and sell an individual to the employer. Typically, a resume is one page summary of one’s professional life. On the downside, everyone has a resume, but everyone doesn’t take the time to send a simple thank you letter to the interview. This is how you can step ahead of the pack and stand out so you can land the job you always wanted. Follow these FIVE EASY STEPS for writing a killer after-interview thank you:

1. Be specific. Directly address your interviewer. Mention things that the interviewer said; this reinforces that you are a good listener.
2. Showcase your written communication style.  A resume doesn’t depict your writing style. A thank you letter provides you with an opportunity to shine!
3. Keep it brief. This isn’t a research paper.  A thank you letter should be less than one page.
4. Don’t resale yourself. Your interview was your sales opportunity, not your thank you letter. Just mention a few main points.
5. Keep it clear from clutter. Don’t get off topic. Only talk about items that are relevant to the interview process.

Follow these five steps and you will see why a thank you is more important than a resume. Resumes are a common item seen in every interview...thank you letters make you stand out because they are rarely sent after an interview. Click here for more reasons to write thank you letters after an interview.

Stand out…write a thank you!

PS. I also accept thank you letters ;-)

Trim the Fat off Goals!

Goals are great to have, especially when they are jotted down on a piece of paper or the occasional napkin wrapped around your Starbucks coffee. They help keep people on track with achieving their desired outcome; however, it is the structure of the goal which will help determine how effective the goal will be.

Starbucks Coffee has a great corporate social responsibility goal, stated below, that describes their move towards reducing cup waste and becoming a greener company.

"Starbucks passion for reducing cup waste did not start with the Green Project. Since 1985, we have offered a discount to customers who bring in a reusable travel mug and will continue doing so. This is just one of the ways we are fulfilling our commitment to environmental stewardship while we work towards a long-term goal of 100% reusable or recyclable cups by 2015."

Sounds like a pretty sound goal right? Wrong…I believe the goal is too vague when they state the company plans to be using “100% reusable or recyclable cups by 2015.”  Why the option of reusable or recyclable cups? They should be more precise and pick one or the other. Here is an example of a precise goal…“By 2015, it is Starbucks goal to reduce cup waste by 100% by requiring customers to provide their own reusable cup.”

Goals which are too vague enable goal mutation, which means the goal mutates into a different goal and veers off-track from the original desired outcome. (Attention visual learners…I created a diagram that depicts the problem.) In order to stop a goal from mutating, individuals need to create goals that are precise as possible.

Remember: it is okay to have multiple goals; just not vague ones.

Switch it up!

Every Sunday, I pull myself out of bed around 8:00am and head to a local café called Amici Espresso. I’m pretty consistent when it comes to ordering; so consistent that the barista basically has it ready for when I sluggishly open Amici’s door. I normally have their flavored coffee brew or the dark roast of the day. ( Did you know…Amici has the best hazelnut flavored coffee I have EVER tasted!) There are always those other options to choose from, but for some reason I stick with my normal thirst-quencher …the brew(s) of the day. Don’t ask why; I just do.

Today, March 25, 2012, was different. I stepped outside my confinement box and made the daring decision to try something different. I know...shocking! What I tried wasn’t even a coffee! It was their spear-a-mante iced tea! This tea mixed two things I love…spearmint and tea. You know…I’m glad I ventured in a new direction today because the tea is just like their coffee…amazing!

Variety is essential. It cures the boredom that is caused by routine. If options are made available to you…try them because you only live once. Not only will it give you an entirely new experience, but it will unclog your creative mindset which has been compressed by repetitive routine.

Hear that sound? It’s the sound of an empty cup that needs a refill. Venture out…switch it up!

Don’t Rub! Massage

Everyone who grills knows a great dry rub requires the right ingredients. What novice grillers often overlook is the concept that rubs should to be massaged into the cut of meat, not rubbed. Employers have a tendency to do this with new employees. If they need to fill a spot quick, they just slap and rub new employees into the vacant positions instead of taking the time to massage the employee with the proper materials (aka. ingredients) to succeed.

 

The introduction into a new work setting is extremely critical. Just like an interview first impression, it provides the new hire with an idea of where they will be spending 40 hours of their life per week. If you don’t have high turnover now, get use to it because it is only matter of time. Problems arise from this improper method of preparation. How do I combat a bad “dry rub” before it becomes an uncontrollable problem?

Proper ingredients. Provide the new hire with the right materials to succeed from the start. Improper training will only educe headaches for both parties. Just like this Spicy Tex-Mex Meat Rub is probably not the best choice for my mom who hates spicy food.

Right incorporation method. Don’t rush this step. The new hire needs to be massaged into the position. This will reduce the possibility of making them feel overwhelmed. The perfect rub takes time, as it needs to soak into the cut of meat.

Follow these steps and not only will you be on your way to becoming a better leader, but you will enhance your grilling skills making you one step closer to becoming a backyard grill-master. Oh yea, before i forget, here are some more great dry "massages" for your grilling adventure!

It’s a Breathing, Living Thing

Extra! Extra! Blog all about it…the world has a new blogger in town! Who would have thought this guy (aka. the 23 year old opportunist…me) would enter the blogging world?! Well, he didn’t until enrolling in the “Write Like a Leader” seminar held at Drake University. Now the question is, what in the blogging world is he going to blog about?

“Thoughts form the Backyard” will inspire anyone who reads it to think outside the box. It will contain everyday thoughts expressed through a business perspective, but with a hint of personal flare and lifestyle. This is what five years of cramming business education does to the brain; you begin to eat, drink, and sleep business.

So…sit back, relax, and sip on an Arnold Palmer while soaking up some good ol’ vitamin D as you read this blog in your own backyard!

- Lance Husak