Reach Partners is happy to announce that Rachel Asleson has earned her certification as Project Management Professional (PMP). We are grateful to be the connector and driver in collaborations between community partners to execute a myriad of projects that include producing marketing collateral, communication plans, trainings, and events. We continue to offer an individualized approach to each client’s need, delivered with efficiency, effectiveness and passion.
The PMP certification, awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI), signifies Rachel’s proficiency at leading a project from conception to completion. To earn this credential, she had to fulfill the stringent requirements of the PMP certification. The certification is a career milestone, attained by those who demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, expertise and leadership. This certification shows Rachel’s commitment to her profession and her dedication to providing the highest level of service.
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I’m sure it wasn’t the only reason Tony left her position but I know it was the last straw. Tony, a long-term employee who worked with another company in our building, requested one day off, July 10. From what I understand of that businesses’ industry, it wasn’t a busy time of year. Whatever Tony’s reasons for the request, it didn’t matter; her boss wouldn’t allow her to take the day off. So she put in her two-weeks’ notice and left.
Sure there are rules, employee handbooks to follow and many good reasons to have policies in place. There are situations when we have to make hard choices for our time. For example, I worked much more following my second child than my first; and Rachel made the choice to fly from Minneapolis to Bismarck in order to attend a family wedding and fulfill an obligation for a client the same weekend. Never do I want to run the kind of company that isn’t willing to consider an employee’s request for personal time. I still wonder if he regretted his decision to deny Tony a day off. Now, July 10 is an observed Reach Partners holiday. We honor Tony, and ourselves, by closing the office to remember what’s truly important. Anita As my four months of interning at Reach Partners is quickly coming to an end, it only makes sense to fill you in on my time here and what I’ve learned from this experience. Looking back at the last three months, I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I learned so much about not only how to create a content calendar but, how to write blog posts, how to track the analytics of a blog post, how to create twitter buttons for the website, how to use Canva, how to professionally correspond with followers on social media, etc. The list could go on, and on, and on! But not only did I learn about different programs and the technical aspect of social media; I learned what it’s like to work with professionals and how important it is to support one another. As a public relations and advertising major, the things I’ve learned at Reach Partners have already been beneficial to me and will only continue to be more beneficial as a grow into my career. It’s been so fun for me to already have an understanding of programs before they are introduced to us in class. It not only puts me ahead of the game, but gives me an opportunity to share what I’ve learned with those around me.
The more I learn about potential careers in the public relations and advertising field, the more certain I am that what I have learned in my time at Reach Partners will be applicable for many years to come. Social media isn’t going away, in fact it’s just getting started – therefore, it is almost guaranteed that I will be working with social media in some aspect, using the skills that Reach Partners taught me. As I finish up my last few weeks at Reach Partners, I would like to thank Anita and Rachel for not only giving me this opportunity, but for all of their mentoring and support along the way. - Intern Sarah May the Irish hills caress you;
may her lakes and rivers bless you; may the luck of the Irish enfold you; may the blessings of St Patrick behold you
Our reflections on 2014.
1. A successful Fargo Marathon Charities raised over $200,000 2. SOLD OUT the Women’s Health Conference, Bismarck (twice) 3. Hosted the biggest crowd ever at the Worksite Wellness Summit 4. Worked with the talented women of OTMOM 5. Produced the Women’s Way calendar – an organization dear to Anita’s heart 6. Developed new relationships and fostered existing ones 7. Volunteered with The Chamber, ND Cancer Coalition, FMAF’s Women’s Fund Committee 8. Expanded our knowledge in social media strategy and tactics for events 9. Still can’t spell 10. Took deserved time away from the office to recharge 11. Anita was honored with a YWCA Woman of the Year Nomination 12. Mentored students through internship program 13. Mailed 146 handwritten notes 14. Initiated the planning process for a remarkable 2015 Wishing you an amazing 2015! Anita & Rachel I was delighted to share my experiences when a college student studying event management emailed the following questions for an assignment of interviewing an industry professional. How long have you been involved in this industry? I’ve been managing projects, events, trainings and workshops since 1998. I’ve owned Reach Partners since 2005 and was employed by the company from 1998 to 2005. What education did you receive before getting involved in the industry? I have a B.S. degree from a liberal arts college (Concordia College, Moorhead) and majored in political science with a minor in women’s studies. I’ve learned much through experience. What is a typical day like for you? I don’t know if there is one! Reach Partners is a project management firm – we manage all kinds of projects, including events. Examples of other projects include managing the team and details to publish a book on an organization’s history, scheduling locations for a commercial video, handling the details for the creation and installation of a large piece of public art. What are your hours like? As the business owner I have the flexibility to be a Mom when I need - I can to go to my son’s football game in the middle of the workday - yet the work has to get done so I choose to work later at night after my kids go to bed. I’m in the office most of the time between 8-5 Monday through Friday and work evenings and weekends as needed for the project or event. What are some job responsibilities you have? As a small business owner, I do everything. In addition to client work, I manage the company finances, office and staff and I spend a great deal of time in marketing Reach Partners’ services through networking and project proposals. What are some certain skills and attitudes needed for success in this career?
Attention to detail. Attention and the willingness to double and triple check details. Can Do. I don’t stop just because a barrier gets in the way. I find a way to make it happen (so long as it’s not illegal). Calm. When an issue comes up in the middle of a project or an event, people tend respond emotionally because they are overwhelmed and under pressure. If I also respond emotionally, I can’t help the situation and a solution is not going to come any easier. This leads to the next point… Know that something always goes wrong. There’s no way around it. For an event, think through the day/s from a myriad of perspectives so that you can imagine a solution or imagine what you’ll need in place to respond, so when that one thing you didn’t think of actually happens, you have time to deal with the issue. You aren’t fully prepared if you haven’t planned for risks. It’s effortless (so it seems). When a project or an event is done well, people won’t see or understand the work and effort it takes to deliver. Honestly, that’s what I want in an event: all the right pieces in the right places. Often, it’s only when a detail is forgotten or a mistake is made (big or small) that people notice an event planner’s work. What is the most exciting part about your job? I get to work with passionate people, people who work in industries that care about the mission and the people they serve. I learn so much about their industry and topic when planning an event with them. For example, I’ve learned how I and the media communicate stories of suicide and balance of timeliness of news and not create additional stress on the surviving family or cause contagion (additional suicides). I love the challenge of creating the experience that the client has envisioned. I love when my planning allows an event to flow smoothly, without issues. Finally, I enjoy learning and growing to make the next event even better. Anita, Reach Partners So, what’s the opposite of a spelling bee? A misspelling ‘squito? Actually, the “bee” in spelling bee doesn’t refer to a smarty-pants bug, rather it’s an American term that refers to a gathering of people engaged in a single activity like a barn raising or quilting. If we had a contest on who is the worse speller is I honestly don’t know who would leave the champion, Anita or I. We are equally horrible and voluntarily admit it. My Mom, once a grammar queen and spelling sensation, used to lovingly, albeit mournfully, call me, “MisSpell”. Most gaffs are a shared and easy way to laugh at ourselves. Remember when Facebook didn’t have spell check? There were many times when Anita drafted a status update in Word to confirm the spelling would be correct. Or redrafted a status to use a word she could spell. She and I are ever grateful that Word, Firefox and Google Chrome always show the little red squiggly line under some creative jumbles and for those brilliant people Reach Partners works with who are queen spellers and editors. We need all kinds.
It is a damn poor mind indeed which can't think of at least two ways to spell any word. - Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the US Rachel, Reach Partners Greetings everyone! I am very excited to introduce myself as the summer intern at Reach Partners. I am a senior at NDSU majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a minor in Business Administration. It brings me pleasure when I can help my family’s events come to life. Through this internship at Reach Partners, I anticipate the opportunity to learn how to produce public events and all the details that goes into the preparation. I look forward to experiencing new things in the project management aspect of the internship. I know Anita and Rachel continuously guide me to success and I LOVE being a part of the team! On my days off I like to watch funny movies, read adventure books, fish for sunnies, hike along the Red River, and play with my kitty Thor. Drink of choice: Water with lemon Strengths: empathy, communication, responsibility, arranger, harmony Danielle, Reach Partners |
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