Monday Motivation Quote of the Week

We think we want things to be easy - smooth sailing - that somehow that's an indication of our success. But this image reminds us that more often we rise in response to opposing forces.

I was reading about pearls recently and learned that they are formed in response to some kind of irritant or parasite. The oyster (actually, any mollusk can create a sort of pearl) responds to the irritant by coating it with layers of nacreous secretions which result in the smooth, iridescent pearl valued for its beauty.

Are you facing opposition today? Think of it as your opportunity to rise above and fly high. Is there something that is causing you irritation?  Think of it as the process of creating something rare, beautiful and valuable - pearls of wisdom.

The Winner! (Don't think she didn't work for it all year long.)

I hope everyone out there has had a good week - especially all you hard working administrative professionals. We have been going through the submissions for Vmeals Administrative Professional of the Year, and boy are we impressed! (I'm exhausted just reading their job descriptions!) Take a look at a few of their collective responsibilities:

• ordering food
• coordinate all events/parties 
• payroll
• accounts payable
• program coordinator
• meeting organizer
• copier & printer troubleshooter & sometimes repairman
• office supply orderer 
• mailroom attendant
• make travel arrangements
• supervise support staff
• negotiate with vendors
• manage office equipment accounts/contracts 
• draft correspondence 
• data management
• special projects
• new hire orientation/training
• processing business related expenses
• serve on the safety committees and social committees
• member of professional organizations
• attend professional development seminars
• published articles in trade journal

 Many of you do all of the above.

So you can see what kind of person values Vmeals. When I say it's The One Who Gets Things Done, I'm not joking. We are proud to support these exceptional professionals.

It was hard to pick a winner this year. Everyone is so deserving, and our staff was pretty evenly divided as we deliberated - but this isn't rec league. You don't get a "good try" trophy - we have to name a winner. So without further ado, we name our Vmeals Administrative Professional of the Year: Sally Welch.

*clap**clap**clap**clap**clap*

Sally is a senior administrator extraordinaire for a CPA firm in Baltimore. Congratulations!

Monday Motivation Quote of the Week

"The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious."~Marcus Aurelius

"In the successful organization, no detail is too small to escape close attention."~Lou Holtz

We've doubled down on the motivational quote for the week. I think these two guys know a little something about success, and their similar observations are particularly apropos to Administrative Professionals Week.

Those with the gift for administration may not get much glory, but the greatest leaders recognize the important contribution of those who tend to the details - and we salute you all.

Happy Administrative Professionals Week!

Fantastic Friday Feast of Favoritism

OK, y'all - it's Friday and there's an awful lot going on at the Vmeals Worldwide HQ, so let's get down to it, shall we?

Next week is Administrative Professionals Week. We're proud to be a great resource for admins, and they are some of our very most favorite people! Let's face it, these women and men are the glue that holds an office together. They go by many different job titles, but they all have one thing in common: they juggle a boatload of different tasks and have to be The One Who Knows All  and The One Who Gets It All Done.

We want to show our appreciation by giving you all a big virtual hug, words of praise and by awarding one deserving admin with the title of Vmeals Administrative Professional of the Year - but we need your help. Got to our Facebook page and tell us why you deserve to win or nominate someone else you think deserves the title.

Maybe you don't feel comfortable blowing your own horn on Facebook, or maybe you're not allowed during business hours. No problem. Just shoot us an email: mfulton@vmeals.com and tell us who and why we should award this very prestigious title and a $150 Spa Finders gift card!


Next, Vmeals is our favorite cool technology solution to the age old question: What's for lunch? We think we're pretty hard-working and efficient and simple to use, but there are few things we still like to do the old-fashioned way. We think high quality customer service never goes out of style, and word of mouth remains our favorite form of advertising.

We reward our customers and friends who refer Vmeals to other friends and colleagues (you really are our favorite people!). In addition to VCAP points, everyone who refers someone who creates a new account with us this month will receive a $5 Starbucks gift card. The person who refers the most will receive a $250 Target gift card. Your referrals don't need to order for you to qualify, they simply need to register. How great is that?

So, aside from telling us why you deserve to win Vmeals Administrative Professional of the Year and telling all your fiends and coworkers about Vmeals, what have you got going on this Friday?

Are You a Member of the Club?

You don't need to be a member to order from the Bull and Bear Club. Established by two executives from Fidelity Insurance Company in 1967, The Bull and Bear Club is the premier private business dining club in Richmond. For over forty years, The Bull & Bear Club has provided an elite environment for both business and personal dining. 

Now the flavors of this private club are available to Vmeals customers. You can conveniently order one of their elegant boxed sandwich or salad lunches online and have it delivered to your own exclusive event location. You can have anyone you want in your club and enjoy the work of this inspired chef.

Be sure to take advantage of this kind of access for your next board meeting or client presentation.

Vmeals is where food and business connect.

Vmeals Administrative Professional of the Year

They say the only things you can count on in this life are death and taxes. Neither of those is terribly inspiring, so let me offer this: You can count on Vmeals. 

We give you lots of great menu choices, friendly customer service, and plenty of attention to detail. We know how important it is to get everything right for your event, so you can count on us to make sure your food just right and right on time.

But we're not the only folks you can count on. We work with thousands of administrative professionals who know how to get things done. Do you know somebody like this? Most likely (if you are a Vmeals customer) you are somebody like this.

If so, go to our Facebook page and tell us why you deserve to be the Vmeals Administrative Professional of the Year. (If you can't get on Facebook, you can post in the comments section below or email info@vmeals.com and we'll post a shout out on your behalf.)

The Vmeals team will choose a winner and that winner will receive a $150 Spa Finders gift card! (Doesn't a massage sound pretty good right now?) We'll even send you a certificate suitable for framing so you can casually reference it whenever someone stops by your desk. So nominate yourself or someone else by the end of the day Thursday, April 26th. We think you are all winners!

Monday Motivation Quote of the Week

"Action expresses priorities." ~Gandhi

Well, that about sums it all up. Are your actions consistent with what you say is important to you?

Happy Birthday Mr. Jefferson

Cheers!

Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, 3rd president of the United States, founder of the University of Virginia was Charlottesville, Virginia's first foodie. It is no coincidence that Vmeals Worldwide HQ shares hometown bragging rights with T.J.

If he were around today, he would certainly be blogging about food (and other things like architecture, gardening, religious freedom, etc). He would be totally into fresh, local and organic foods. His plantation home, Monticello, was the epitome of sustainability with his revolutionary garden.

But just like Vmeals, Mr. Jefferson was also on the cutting edge of food trends. He introduced the techniques of French chefs to his kitchen, and turned Americans on to vanilla, macaroni, and Italian olive oil, and he was the first person on record to own an ice cream freezer. He was an inventor and innovator and would have been delighted, I'm sure, by the creative ways we've used technology to connect and source meals.

It's all well and good that he gets lauded for the Louisiana Purchase and commissioning the Lewis and Clark expeditions, but he also brought us wine and ice cream. Let's remember what's really important here, folks.

So we wish Mr. Jefferson a very happy birthday. We are deeply in his culinary and innovative debt.

Get a look at his awesome birthday cake!

Vmeals CEO Reveals April Contest

On behalf of the team at Vmeals, let me extend our sincere appreciation for your business. I can assure you we’ll work tirelessly to retain it!

You’ve probably observed that Vmeals doesn’t rely on splashy, high-profile advertising campaigns to grow our business. Instead, we choose to invest in perfecting the customer experience, as it’s our belief that a satisfied customer begets new customers. We’ve seen that belief validated - time and time again - by the willingness you’ve demonstrated to recommend our services to your colleagues and professional peers. Thank you!

To that end, we’ve decided to try something a little different. This month we’re going to make our referral program a little more interesting. So here’s how it will work: 

Anybody that refers at least one person who creates a new Vmeals account in April will receive a $5 Starbucks gift card. The customer that refers the most new Vmeals registrants in April will receive a $250 Target gift card!

Don’t fret if you’ve already made referrals in April; you will receive acknowledgment for them. Referrals can be made though the Refer-A-Friend link on your VCAP page or by emailing a list with first name, last name and email address to: referrals@vmeals.com. Just to be clear, you will still receive VCAP points for any of your referrals that place an order (provided that you’re enrolled in VCAP).

As always, we encourage you to respond with any feedback you might have. Thank you for your continued support.

Finest regards,

HunterStokes, CEO

Monday Motivation Quote of the Week

"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." ~Steve Jobs



Sadly, I've seen too often that people are just as likely - maybe more likely - to only rise to the minimum standards required. Imagine if everyone in your organization set out to raise the bar a little every day. What could you do today to show everyone around you what excellence looks like?

Deal for Atlanta Vmeals Customers

Vmeals is pleased to partner with a great Atlanta metro area caterer: Let's Eat Catering

 Let's Eat Catering offers full service catering, specializing in gourmet sandwiches and salads at affordable pricing. With 35 years experience in providing catering services for Atlanta, Let's Eat is your choice for reliable, quality catering for your next office event. 

And just for the month of April, Let's Eat has a special offer just for Atlanta Vmeals customers:15% off all orders for 20 or more people! Just enter LETSEAT15 in the promo code field at check out.

Check out the Let's Eat menu today and give them a try for your next event.

5 Magic Words That Will Increase Your Productivity

I read this great post by Christine Kane yesterday about these 5 magic words - the ones that will help you get things done, the things that are most important to you. Are you ready for it? Here they are:

That's just what I do.

Well, it's no abra cadabra, so what makes these words so powerful? Presumably, you know what it is you want to accomplish, and you probably have a pretty good idea how to get there - the actions, activities and practices of someone who is successful.

So whether it's getting up early to work out, sitting down to write at a specified time, unplugging from phone, email, and Facebook for certain hours so you can work on that important project - don't think about if you feel like it, if you feel creative or energetic - just say to yourself: That's just what I do.

That's just what I do says I have established routines that work.
That's just what I do says I am committed and disciplined.
That's just what I do says I have faith in myself.


If you want to be someone who gets things done, then act like it. That's just what you do.

Tip Tuesday: Taking Attendance

Did you know that when you order through Vmeals, there's an easy way to track your per person costs - no math required?

As you go through the order process, you will select the date, time and location of your event, then the menu and menu items you desire. You will then come to a screen that looks like this:

This screen (this is only a partial view) gives you the opportunity to attach as much information as you like to your order - charge codes, special instructions, internal notes (like "remember to set up the projector"), and attendance. That attendance number is optional, but can be quite helpful. If you enter the number of people you expect at your event, in addition to the running total you see in the Order Summary, you will also see the cost per person, to help you stay on top of your budget requirements.

Using the attendance field also helps our restaurant and catering partners with supplying just the right amount of paper products and utensils - no waste, no running short and no guess work. So you see, it pays to take attendance in to account when you are entering the details of your order.

Do you typically use the attendance field when you place an order?

Monday Motivation Quote of the Week

"I choose a seasonal outlook. I try to think of myself as an apple tree. Time is not linear, it moves in circles. Come spring, I will bloom again." ~Amby Burfoot, author of the Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life


The change of seasons is a good time to remember that our lives are seasonal. We will move through times of extraordinary beauty and promise, hard work and high productivity, harvest time and rest.

The way we experience time isn't quite linear, nor is it simply a repetitive circle. Think of it more like a slinky where you cycle through the rhythms of work and rest, striving and satisfaction, stretching and moving forward.

Just as we faithfully await for various trees, shrubs, and flowers bloom at their appointed time, remember that you too will blossom in due season - not just once - but again and again.