Olszewski for Winter Garden Commission District 3

Dear Winter Garden Neighbor:

Please visit www.VoteBobbyO.com!

I thank you for taking the time to learn more about me as we share this special opportunity to elect our next Commissioner for District 3 as dedicated Winter Garden residents.  In any election, it is easy to look for elements that divide us.  Here in Winter Garden we need to focus on what we have in common, as we all share a deep passion for our country, our state, and our local hometown community.  Countless times, we watched the same political dance when candidates do and say anything to get a vote, and then nothing gets any better.  It seems the only time we see our elected officials is during a campaign.  This is why I am enthusiastically running to become Winter Garden Commissioner for District 3.  I know that together we can do much better because just being good, is definitely not enough.  Better is Possible.

I have the leadership experience to manage complex fiscal operations as well as the ability to lead and motivate people with the understanding that the citizens of Winter Garden are the ones in charge.  We need someone who represents all citizens and business in our diverse community with a deep respect for the past as we work and grow for the future.  I know as a citizen, that our own hard-earned money goes into paying taxes.  Taxes truly belong to the people, collected to serve the common good of all the citizens and not the same people elected and serving within our local government.  Winter Garden has been my home for nearly a decade where I have witnessed our growth first-hand.  I will seek to strategically lead the people’s resources with fiscally sound business principles.  Ethical Leadership, Fiscal Responsibility, Lower Taxes, and Public Safety are the top priorities for the people of Winter Garden, so they are my top priorities.  I encourage you to let your voice be heard on March 13, 2012 by voting Robert “Bobby” Olszewski (Ol-shess-key) for Winter Garden Commissioner for District 3 because together we know that Better is Possible.

Robert “Bobby” Olszewski

P.S. Our election for Winter Garden City Commission for District 3 is fast approaching so please be sure to make your plans to vote for Robert “Bobby” Olszewski on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 because Better is Possible.

Please visit www.VoteBobbyO.com!

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Your Word, Your Honor

One of the most important aspects that any leader can have is the trust of the people they have been chosen to lead.  The front pages of media sources are filled with examples of leaders in the business, political, and entertainment sectors that have fallen short on their leadership principles.  In our 24/7 culture people demand results NOW, but sometimes results cannot be generated from a few minutes in a magical microwave.  True leadership requires planning, execution, and many times making difficult situations.  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com) prides itself on being able to provide strong leadership ethics that produce results by focusing on the W.I.N. (What’s Important Now).

Winning results are achieved because leaders galvanize their people surrounding themselves with positive influences with setting attainable goals.  This is done by communicating with actual human beings and not employee ID # 8675-309-007.  Leaders must inspire their constituents to transform the team’s goals into the team members’ personal goals.   Making personal connections is what makes people rally around leadership decisions because leadership is a personal decision.  Leadership is about sticking to principles when times are difficult focusing on a winning result for all.

Allow the Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) to help you with your leadership and operational strategies.  Too many times leaders are only concerned about themselves instead of the mission for the people.  EMCG, Inc. has seen many leaders who have relished in their position and standing in the community only to find that when they did not have the position or the title, their phones stopped ringing and the party invites got lost in the mail.  Leadership is about courage, having a determined personal courage to do what is right and best of all concerned.  Leaders do not live in fear, they thrive on the challenge.  Let EMCG, Inc. help you win by focusing on what’s important now.

What If…

Peter Uberoth once said, “that we can accomplish anything IF just enough people cared.”  The former Major League Baseball Commissioner knew  it is important for leaders to understand that we as a people can accomplish anything IF our organizations and communities know that we care.  Supposedly the “experts,” the one’s with all of the answers, routinely forget that people under your care truly do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.  Imagine what your organization or team could accomplish IF all of your constituents truly knew that they were truly valued and appreciated.  Hall of Fame football coach Lou Holtz has three simple question that everyone asks of their leaders: 1) Can I Trust You?, 2) Are You Committed? and 3) Do You Care About Me as a Person?  What IF each member of your team was asked these questions about your leadership, would they know you care?

What IF? That question alone leads the imagination to infinite possibilities.  I do not think an individual can read the iconic words of Rudyard Kipling enough as it serves as a personal mirror to what you stand-for as a leader and more importantly as a human being.  There are many individuals that use these lines as a cliché but what IF we all embraced this philosophy as a way of life.  Just imagine the infinite possibilities, what IF…

 If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;If you can dream – and not make dreams your master; If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run – Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!

We The People

Nobody is smarter than the people.  With the political season behind us, there are many business principles that we can learn from various political campaigns.  At the Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. (www.EmersonMCG.com ) we create various management and business development strategies for clients in which we believe that every experience, win or lose, is an experience in which we can learn.  I always tell clients, and the college classes that I teach, that what is so special about being an executive in the business/economic development field is that you must fully comprehend how, under the marketing umbrella, that promotions, advertising, public relations, and media relations must all work together and equal revenue/profit.  What is most intriguing to me about political campaigns is that it is marketing and sales at its purest form where the scorecard is measure by votes and not dollars.

The Mid-Term elections have exemplified how the people’s voice can be heard from the basic grassroots level.  I have never witnessed in my lifetime the bottom-up approach in the political process that we have just seen.  As previously stated, it is important to learn from both the wins and the losses.  I am shocked by watching the messages coming from both the Republicans and the Democrats as a result of the people getting their voices heard.  The issues that we were facing as a nation and people were with us last week, last month, and last year but after Tuesday night, the message has been changed immediately from both the Right and Left.  The people were able to change the message because they were given a voice. 

What does this political case study mean for clients of the Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. (www.EmersonMCG.com ) and your business?  Your business and message are greatly influenced and ultimately developed by the people (your customers).  If you do not listen to your market, they will eventually force you to listen.  It is important not to force a product and/or service on the market that the market does not want.  By listening and engaging your customers you will gain an advantage over the competition by listening to their wants and needs.  Having the Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. (www.EmersonMCG.com ) conduct your customer and market research will provide a tactical advantage over your competition.  The results you gain by truly listening to your customers will allow you to throw your own Victory Party!

Sticks and Stones

There is a book that espouses that everything that you need to know about life, you learned in Kindergarten.  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) always advises clients to take the high road in all situations but it is truly amazing how many people drop the ball on civility.  College Hall of Fame football coach Lou Holtz has three simple rules for success: 1) Do What Is Right, 2) Do Your Best, and 3) Treat Other People the Way You Want to be Treated.  In our increasingly complicated world, it is always wise to take a breath and keep it simple just like we used to when we were five.

Within media analysis, I am amazed at all of the political ads that employ the strategy of tearing down your opponent under the guise of that tactic is what resonates with the voters.  However, you do not need to look at politics to find examples of throwing insults as the business world is full of them.  What is most distressing is that these verbal assaults are not always against competitors but within the same organization and team.  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) has seen many situations while consulting on business operations where the team concept is lost on both employees as well as management.  I find it comical to watch how employees throw each other under the bus, tattle on each other, and run to management to get someone else in trouble.  Does this sound familiar?  I hope that most of you are remembering these tactics from elementary school and not from your business.  When employees do not solve their own problems, they make themselves look horrible with their colleagues, management, and customers.  As the cliché goes, you are not going to make your house look any better by burning your neighbor’s house down.

However, we know that there are many weak people out in the world who cannot compete with ideas, talent, knowledge, and results so all they have left to give is negativity.  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) advises clients that are facing negativity and insults to take them as compliments.  When you have a bulls-eye, people only attack when they are threatened.  The bottom-line is to rise above pettiness and the insults.  You are doing something right if people are trying to bring you down.  When you know you have the truth and integrity on your side, all you have to do is keep ‘em coming.

Holy Harry Potter!

I know the bean counters at Universal Studios would agree that Harry Potter should be given Sainthood status for what the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has meant to Universal Orlando.  The Orlando-based theme park has achieved quarterly profits not seen in almost a decade, which is additionally a huge boon to the local Central Florida economy.  This past week I ventured to Islands of Adventure to visit Hogsmeade for the first time and was utterly amazed at what I saw.  The Harry Potter ride was the best ride I have ever experienced with the technology, effects, and the authentic representations from the films.  However, what does this have to do with the Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) and business analysis?  Everything.

I felt that I was in a walking business case study as the first aspect that caught my attention was how packed it was first thing in the morning.  What was even more surprising were the lines of fans, and I mean fans and not mere typical theme park guests.  There were also two 30-minute lines with people happily waiting for the chance to buy Butter Beer.  The line for the main ride attraction stretched well into the Hogsmeade Village with a wait-time of at least 100-minutes.  There were a wealth of kids as well as adults adorned in Harry Potter costumes and memorabilia living out their fantasy.   Now finally what made my jaw drop, and will be written about in business, retail, and merchandising textbooks for years to come, was the Harry Potter merchandise frenzy.  Most astonishly, there were two lines leading to two different stores that gave fans just a chance to buy merchandise.  I personally could not image waiting 45-minutes for a ride let alone to buy merchandise but Universal makes it happen. 

What I find so impressive is when people line up for the Apple I-Pad, it is for just one day, as Universal does this every day.  Universal has truly hit the proverbial jackpot when it comes to merchandising.  They have been able to create demand while tapping into the emotions of its fans.  As you know, fan is short for fanatic as there was plenty of evidence of fanatical behavior in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  What can be learned from Universal and their success is that you need a high concept that connects with fans.  Once people become fans of your business you have them under your spell.  If your business and brand can connect with your customers and make them fans, the results can literally become the snowball coming down the hill.  Allow the Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) help you create this phenomenon.  Hopefully when the rush and excitement are at its peak, you will need to yell “Expecto Patronum” just like Harry Potter.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

In the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy thinks she missed her balloon ride back to Kansas, the good witch of the North appears and tells her that she has always had the power to go back to home whenever she wanted.  This concept applies directly to our current socioeconomic reality, although we do not need Ruby Slippers to make our wishes comes true (but surely someone will try and sell us on the idea). The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) strives to be an example for our clients as well as our friends that we the people have all the power.  In our 24-7 culture, we as consumers are bombarded with messages that supposedly tell us the truth. 

The “Father of Mass Media” Marshall McLuhan gave us the maxim that the “medium is the message.”  When everyone is overloaded with information with different mediums, it is becoming increasingly difficult for individuals to think for themselves.  This is because the mediums that we use force us to make important decisions in less than 10-seconds, whether it is a network news story, Twitter entry, or status update.  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) knows that we the people are in control just like Dorothy, as individuals always have the power to control their own results.  Ralph Waldo Emerson starts his essay on Self Reliance with the phrase, “Don’t seek yourself, outside of yourself.”  This is the message that Glinda was giving to Dorothy before she left the Emerald City.

Many organizations, candidates, and brands purposely try and overload society with the medium is the message mantra by confusing the people.  What can we expect in a world that is no longer clear as this example from a TV ad from a Democrat U.S. Congressional incumbent from New York who states, the candidate “didn’t vote with Nancy Pelosi (a Democrat) 93% of the time,” and “voted with the Republican leader 63% of the time.”  It is up to the individual to take the responsibility to find the answer with permission-based marketing.  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. (www.EmersonMCG.com ) knows that the medium is the message in our 24-7 culture as we can advise clients on how they can empower their markets and customers to seek their own truth by permission-based marketing.  This marketing strategy is the most important factor in cutting through the clutter and empowering your customers to get the truth from the chaos

You Are Getting Sleepy

The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) is constantly facing questions from clients on how organizations can help customers think logically about their products and services.  Having human beings use true logic is a very difficult proposition but giving them tools to think for themselves is not as difficult.  I wish I always had the exact answer to this question in each specific situation as I would be writing this from my beach house in the Florida Keys.  One aspect to keep in mind is that managing your customers is not about being able to control them like a hypnotist, but offering suggestions.  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) does not have the magic amulet to sway back and forth to get your customers under your control, but the idea is exactly the same concept.

Organizations must be able to market their brands, goods, and services through suggestion.  There is an old cliché in dealing with difficult people is to “make them think it was their idea.”  This is the same marketing strategy to achieve success in this business environment.  With the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, there is a true consumer mind-set for permission-based marketing.  Getting your customer’s permission to market to them is the most powerful way that you can attract and retain loyal business customers.  By offering suggestive marketing (get your mind out of the gutter), suggestive as in soft selling, by enticing your customers to seek you out is the ideal situation as you made them think it was their idea!

The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) has the insights and experience with offering campaigns actionable and measurable business development strategies.  Customers routinely state that they despise getting marketed and sold to by businesses and individuals.  However, an audience will still respond to certain brands, goods, and services when they give their own permission.  Getting permission to market to customers is the ideal strategy in this economy as offering suggestions to the right audience will make all the difference.

Poker Face

If you are thinking this is going to be an analysis on Lady Gaga lyrics, you will be disappointed.  However, Lady Gaga makes a strong business and marketing case with the fact that she makes people talk.  Getting people to talk, tweet, and update their status is the entire goal of marketing in the social media age.  Millions of dollars are spent on marketing efforts in finding the best strategies surrounding word-of-mouth advertising.  The burning question is how do you get people to notice and then get on their own personal soap-box?

The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc.  ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) has seen plenty of research which shows that honest evaluations, that are not solicited, are the best way for your audience to be receptive of your message.   Another aspect to keep in mind is creating a “stickiness” factor.   This concept was expanded upon in The Tipping Point (M. Gladwell, 2000) where creating something that is memorable is the first step in creating demand for your product or service.  Once your audience gets something stuck in their heads, like wearing underwear into Yankee Stadium (study up on Lady Gaga if you are lost on this reference), the word-of-mouth bonanza begins. 

The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc.  ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) works with clients in creating a consistent message that gets people talking.  These issues that all organizations face remind me of the old philosophical question of “what is the sound of one hand clapping?”  The answer is whatever you want it to be and that is the same answer in marketing endeavors within the culture of social media.  Your audience is the one in charge and even though you could spend millions to manage your organization’s message, the audience can make it whatever they want it to be.  It is important for organizations to be flexible and adaptable because market conditions and circumstances can turn on a dime when you deal with the diversity of your audience.  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc.  ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) looks forward to helping organizations strategically plan for the unexpected in the current economic marketplace.  The audience has the all power, as once you capture their eyeballs and get them talking, the eMCG, Inc. (www.EmersonMCG.com) can make sure that it does not end in a Bad Romance.

All Right Now

When did it happen that facts no longer mean anything?  It seems that our current sociological make-up is made for the 5-second TV sound-bite and petty name calling rather than embracing truth and solid facts.  It is hard to operate a business, let alone maintain personal ethics, when there are so many individuals who make a conscious decision to do less than the best of what they are capable of doing.  There is only so much that we can do when simple logic is not embraced.  It is difficult to live an honorable and principled life while producing ethical results for your organization.

The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) knows that our clients struggle with these issues daily.  The simple answer can be summarized by the lyrics of a Ricky Nelson song.  For those that do not know who Ricky Nelson is, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the only artist to have the #1 song, TV show, and movie at the same time.  Nelson was booed in Madison Square Garden by legions of fans late in his career because he was playing his new songs rather than his tried and true favorites.  The experience inspired Nelson to write his last hit, “Garden Party.”  The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) always recommends that customers and the marketplace determine the direction of organizations.  However, organizations are made up of people, and as leaders, we need to be sure that we are doing the best that we can for one another. 

The Emerson Management & Consulting Group, Inc. ( www.EmersonMCG.com ) knows that organizations serve our customers, employees, and our communities. When it comes down to the most basic level of integrity, all we have is our word as it is always important that you live up to your personal best.  Ricky Nelson summarizes this idea with simple words from his Garden Party.  “But it’s all right now, I learned my lesson well.  You see, you can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself.”