Archive for the ‘Personal Success’ Category
Securian IT Success with Business Process Management Earns Award
Posted: September 13, 2012 at 10:14 pm
ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Its called the Operations Re-engineering Initiative and its all about improving employee collaboration and productivity, resulting in a positive impact on earnings.
This was one of the projects that earned Securian and its IT department a place on the InformationWeek 500 Top Technology Innovators award for the fourteenth consecutive year.
This honor recognizes our commitment to our vision of providing innovative information technology solutions to our business units, helping them become more strategic and efficient while providing a superior customer experience, said Jean Delaney Nelson, senior vice president and CIO, Securian Financial Group.
The Operations Re-engineering Initiative implements improvements that make it easier for individual life insurance distributors to work with Securians Life Product Manufacturing (LPM) unit while growing sales and improving retention of existing life insurance business. The project yielded several intangible benefits in 2011, such as improved tracking, reduced turnaround times, and higher productivity. The tangible benefit was an 11 percent improvement in operational efficiency with the expectation of additional improvements in 2012.
This initiative yielded significant business value and positioned LPM for future process improvement, such as quickly adjusting business processes with minimal impact and helping us identify opportunities to become more efficient, said Delaney Nelson.
The InformationWeek 500 has recognized the most innovative users of business technology for 24 years. The editors look for unconventional approaches to maximizing business opportunities and solving complex business problems with information technology.
Securians string of appearances on Computerworld list of the Best Places to Work in IT also remains unbroken. Securian ranked tenth in 2012 and is one of the smaller employers with 2,400 associates in St. Paul and 425 IT employees. The company has made 17 consecutive appearances on the Computerworld list.
Since 1880, Securian Financial Group and its affiliates have provided financial security for individuals and businesses in the form of insurance, investments and retirement plans. Now one of the nations largest financial services providers, it is the holding company parent of a group of companies that include Minnesota Life Insurance Company, Advantus Capital Management, Allied Solutions, Capital Financial Group, Cherokee National Life Insurance Company, CNL/Insurance America, Personal Finance Company, Securian Trust Company, Securian Financial Services, Inc., Securian Casualty Company, and Securian Life Insurance Company, both are New York admitted insurers.
DOFU 09-2012 A03491-0912
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Securian IT Success with Business Process Management Earns Award
Pollard Banknote and Michigan Lottery Partner for Success with Cashword WebPlay™ Interactive Game
Posted: at 8:19 am
Ticket named best new instant game at the 2012 World Lottery Summit!
WINNIPEG , Sept. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - Pollard Banknote Limited (PBL.TO) (Pollard Banknote) is excited to announce the success of the Michigan Lottery's Cashword Instant ticket and WebPlay program, starring the Michigan Lottery Cashword app powered by Pollard Banknote. The award was presented at the World Lottery Summit in Montral this week.
"Pollard Banknote's WebPlay program enhances the value of an instant ticket by providing free extended play on the lottery's website or with a stand-alone smartphone app", said Co-Chief Executive Officer, Doug Pollard . "We have focused a lot of energy and attention toward developing technologies that will attract younger players and drive sales for our customers. The Michigan Lottery has been a wonderful partner and an active supporter of our technology as it stimulates sales, provides added entertainment value, and most importantly, captures the attention of the 18-25 year old market. The fact there were one million Cashword interactive games played within the first six months of the program is a testament to its success."
The Michigan Lottery's Cashword WebPlay program features a custom app developed by Pollard Banknote that utilizes a quick response (QR) code to download the Michigan Cashword Lottery app. Once downloaded, players can continue to play their retailer-purchased instant ticket in an online format for a second chance to win instant ticket coupons or points for redemption on the Michigan Lottery's Player's Club. Both the app and the web-based version of the game can also be played for fun without the purchase of a Cashword ticket.
Sales data since the February 2012 introduction of the Michigan Lottery Cashword app shows the WebPlay program was responsible for a 52% increase in average weekly sales of the already popular Cashword category as average weekly sales jumped from a total of $2.3 million to $3.5 million .
"Research shows the ability to play the game on a personal computer or on-the-go with a smartphone has successfully engaged the coveted 18-25 demographic, of which 20% play the app for fun at least once a day after download", stated Tom Weber , Deputy Commissioner of Marketing with the Michigan Lottery. "Fifty-five percent of players who played the app for fun were influenced to purchase a ticket in order to play the app for prizes, while 75% of 18-25 year-old segment said they were more likely to purchase Cashword tickets after playing the Michigan Lottery Cashword app. The recent award for our Cashword program at the World Lottery Summit is further recognition of our work as an industry innovator and a strong endorsement of the Lottery's ability to create compelling products for the future, including extending lottery games into the mobile space while still supporting our retail network", said Weber.
With the mandate to support education in the state, the Michigan Lottery generated over $727 million for Michigan's educational system in 2011. Since 1972, the Lottery's total contributions to schooling have grown to exceed $16 billion .
About Pollard Banknote Limited Pollard Banknote Limited is one of the world's leading full-service lottery vendors and is a major supplier to North America's charitable gaming industry. The company manufactures instant lottery tickets and provides related programming, design, and marketing support. As well, Pollard Banknote manufactures pull tab tickets and bingo paper, and supplies lottery management services (including warehousing and distribution). Established in 1907, Pollard Banknote is owned approximately 73.5% by the Pollard family and 26.5% by public shareholders and currently serves more than 50 lotteries worldwide, including some of the largest and most respected lotteries in the United States , Canada , Europe , Asia, and Central and South America .
Forward-looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking" statements and information which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this document, such statements include such words as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "plan," and other similar terminology. These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this document. There should not be an expectation that such information will in all circumstances be updated, supplemented, or revised whether as a result of new information, changing circumstances, future events, or otherwise.
SOURCE: Pollard Banknote Limited
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Pollard Banknote and Michigan Lottery Partner for Success with Cashword WebPlay™ Interactive Game
Your Fall Personal Finance Reading List
Posted: at 2:21 am
Summer reading is over, and so if you're starting to veer away from lighter beach reading and more into the heavier stuff, you might want to take a look at some of the self-help personal finance books out there and put them on their reading list especially if you've been crunching numbers and wondering why you took that wildly expensive vacation and used up most of the money in your bank account and on your credit cards. Or if, even worse, you're crunching numbers and wondering why you didn't have any money so you could take a wildly expensive vacation.
So in case you're looking for something to read, here are a few of the many new personal finance books that have either just come out or are coming out soon.
Title: Personal Freedom and Finance: Short Foundational Discussions on Personal Economics and Finance in Today's Young Adults
Author: Brooks Levonitis.
What it's about: It's a series of topical discussions about defining financial success individually and what it really takes to become independent in today's uncertain and complex world. In other words, it's an investing book aimed at the young adult crowd.
Title: Rich Kid Smart Kid: Giving Your Child a Financial Head Start
Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki
What it's about: Presumably his book, which hits bookstores on October 30, is along the same lines as the rest of Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad motivational self-help financial books, a phenomenally successful series (his 15 books are said to have sold around 26 million copies). For comparison's sake, the personal finance book I co-authored in 2010, Living Well with Bad Credit sold well, let's put it this way. Kiyosaki is a rich dad, and I'm still a poor dad.
Title: How to Give Financial Advice to Women: Attracting and Retaining High-Net Worth Female Clients
Author: Kathleen Burns Kingsbury
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Your Fall Personal Finance Reading List
Business Development
Posted: September 12, 2012 at 8:16 pm
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Business Development
How your personal brand will help or hinder your career
Posted: at 8:16 pm
Reproduced from The Power of Personal Branding for Career Success, with permission from the publisher, The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. 2012. All rights reserved.
Walking down the street and thinking about a cup of coffee, you see Tim Hortons, Starbucks and your local independent coffee shop. Chances are good that you will make up your mind very quickly because you already have a brand preference and your preference will likely be the same a day or even a month later. This type of decision-making is not very surprising, considering the extensive marketing efforts of the two national chains (and, to a lesser degree, the local coffee shop) to attract niche customers, understand their values and build the brand. In fact, all decisions made by each business entity on pricing, product range, dcor and advertising are based on that predetermined brand.
Video: Why its up to you to manage your career
This book is about using the same brand strategy to advance your career. Your first reaction may be brand? How does my career resemble selling coffee? Of course, your career is much more complex and personal than coffee you are not just a product. However, you are a product in the sense that branding is just as critical a component in marketing yourself as it is in marketing a product. The concept of branding positioning yourself for success is a good lens through which to focus on your career strategy.
Choosing and developing your personal brand will help you get where you want to go. Wherever you are in your career starting out, in the middle or in a senior position the concepts and strategies presented throughout these chapters will help you articulate and achieve your goals. The focus is on strategies for advancing your career but applies equally to realizing other goals, such as volunteer activities or community works.
Lets return to product branding and look at some questions that come to mind when considering its effectiveness. Think about one of your favourite products that has a well-recognized brand:
How is the product differentiated from its competitors?
How well known is the product?
What adjectives come to mind if you were to describe or recommend this product?
Does the brand effectively make use of the attributes of the product?
Excerpt from:
How your personal brand will help or hinder your career
Stand out from the pack and advance your career – New book shows you how to build your brand
Posted: at 8:16 pm
TORONTO, Sept. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - What people say about you when you are not in the room can hold the key to career success, according to a new book from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), published in conjunction with Ernst & Young.
The Power of Personal Branding for Career Success provides a step-by-step plan to help establish a true personal brand that will resonate long after you leave a meeting. The book also outlines how to market your skills and expertise to advance your career.
The author is Karen Wensley, a recently retired partner at Ernst & Young who served as the firm's national people team leader.
"In today's marketplace, where competition for top jobs is fierce, your personal brand must be carefully honed and strategically guarded if you want to advance," explains Wensley. "Your brand says a lot about who you are, and the real value you can bring to an organization, so you must invest in it if you want to succeed."
The book proposes an eight-step process, complete with real-world anecdotes, examples and worksheets to help you start establishing a personal brand for career success.
Cairine Wilson, vice-president, member services, CICA, says CAs have been asking for this type of valuable career resource. "In a results-oriented organization, you want to be seen as making a difference," says Wilson. "CAs and others need creative and strategic ways to be recognized to advance their careers."
Stephen Shea, CA, Canadian managing partner, people, at Ernst & Young, stresses that it is important to be proactive. "We have a role to play in shaping how we are perceived by others. If we cannot define ourselves, others will do it for us," he notes.
The Power of Personal Branding for Career Success is available in both French and English. More information about the book, including how to order a copy, can be obtained online at http://www.CAstore.ca/personalbranding-wb.
About CICA Chartered Accountants (CAs) are Canada's most valued, internationally recognized profession of leaders in senior management, advisory, financial, tax and assurance roles. Through their integrity, expertise, and internationally recognized qualification standards, Canada's 82,000 CAs sustain their influence and leadership position both in Canada and globally. As trusted business advisors to Canadian organizations of all sizes, Canada's CAs foster confidence in Canadian business and contribute to the health and sustainability of Canada's capital markets and economy. The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) represents Canada's CA profession both nationally and internationally. The CICA is a founding member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA).
About Ernst & Young Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.
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Stand out from the pack and advance your career - New book shows you how to build your brand
From "Chubby Cheerleader" to Sleeve Success with Dr. Michael Feiz
Posted: at 8:16 pm
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Research will get you everywhere according to a patient named Sasha, whose own blog now spreads the word about quality bariatric surgery. Her weight loss adventure has led to blind alleys and personal disasters, but after careful Internet research she found herself in good hands.
Now the 26-year-old is making advances every day as she cruises swiftly toward her goal weight. While Sasha's grit and determination deserve much of the credit, sleeve gastrectomy from Los Angeles' go-to bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz was a major part of getting where she needed to be.
Trouble began in high school, when the "Chubby Cheerleader" label was first applied. That was when she first started to feel body image-related social pressures. "I was a bigger girl. I'm 5'8'', but high school girls suddenly feel so much pressure to fit into a certain dress size."
Research steered Sasha toward many options. "Embracing your bigger body works for some people," she said, and she applauds those who are healthy and comfortable that way. She was concerned about a family history of diabetes and other health concerns, though. "I didn't want to remember The Chubby Cheerleader. I wanted to be healthy."
The LAP Band is frequently the answer for those who similarly need the health and confidence that comes with weight loss. Sasha's LAP Band experience, however, was far from ideal. "I lost 20 pounds," she says. In other words: her weight loss was far from ideal, and it was accompanied by nausea and discomfort. Then she found out that her doctor, someone from a popular and heavily advertised weight loss surgery company, wasn't even board certified. "I just wanted it out," she says.
Dr. Feiz was different. At Sasha's free consultation, she felt her concerns were being heard. "I wasn't just being shuffled through," she said. She was also being presented with a variety of options, including vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Dr. Feiz removed her LAP Band, and offered to put another one in place so that her weight loss would continue. Another LAP Band wasn't a tempting prospect, and she turned it down. A few months later when the weight had returned, Sasha asked for a new solution, and Dr. Feiz recommended the gastric sleeve at the Huntington Beach surgery center.
"Doctor Feiz told me about the recovery, and he said he'd be happy to take my phone call when I was irritable and uncomfortable." She felt these effects, briefly. But on day 4 she was walking around. After just over two weeks, she's energetic and eager to share her experience with others.
Most importantly however, she's lost 15 pounds since the day she went for surgery two weeks ago, and even with water weight the weight from surgery included 15 pounds is impressive, and most likely a preview of things to come.
To find out about the work being done by Dr. Feiz and his partners, visit them online at http://www.drfeiz.com.
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From "Chubby Cheerleader" to Sleeve Success with Dr. Michael Feiz
Tony Robbins Having a Personal Success Ritual – Video
Posted: at 1:11 pm
Step forward with your future today and Start Something
Posted: at 1:11 pm
Opportunities exist to get the mentorship and financial support you need: Submit your idea now
KIRKLAND, QC, Sept. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - As a generation of ambitious thinkers, research has shown that over two-thirds of young Canadians would like to start something of their own, but a lack of financial support is preventing the majority from initiating a project they are passionate about.i
Budding entrepreneurs are looking for ways to make a career out of doing something they truly love.i According to the recent Start Something with Alesse survey of Canadians 18 to 34, the majority (86%) of young adults define personal success as doing something they are passionate about, and almost three-quarters (72%) ultimately want to be their own boss as opposed to working for someone else.i Many young Canadians say that financial support may prevent them from starting a project that they love, and almost half feel that not having guidance may be a barrier (67% and 45%, respectively): important statistics given that 92 per cent would like to make a career from doing something they love.i
Today's young Canadians have a unique set of values and an interest in doing something for themselves which is leading to larger, social change. It is their approach to entrepreneurship and interest in start-up initiatives, so vastly different than previous generations, that will result in profound effects on the economy, as well as the small-business landscape.ii
And this is exactly why the Start Something with Alesse contest exists.
Jesse Robson and Alyssa Reid, winners of last year's Start Something with Alesse contest, are two young Canadians that embody this entrepreneurial spirit. These ambitious young women took a different approach to personal success and created projects that truly reflect their education and personal passions.
Alyssa recognized an opportunity to help address a problem she acknowledged both in her community, and world-wide: obesity and malnutrition. With education in nutrition, she wanted to create something of her own.
"I was excited about my idea to create Planet Pounds, but was unsure of how to get it started," said Alyssa. "The mentorship and guidance I received from Start Something with Alesse is helping me get my project off the ground and bring my passion to life."
Jesse also had a clear idea of what she wanted to start, and has found the contest's support instrumental in her success story.
"Being a part of Start Something with Alesse has been an amazing opportunity and I have been able to extend my project, Centre for the Arts Exchange, further than I would have thought possible," said Jesse. "I encourage other young Canadians with a dream to submit their idea for something they want to start in order to help make their dream a reality."
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Step forward with your future today and Start Something
Crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter yield a mixed record of success
Posted: at 1:11 pm
A quick trip to fame and fortune seems to be a prevailing story these days: Post a video on YouTube and win a recording contract. Appear on a reality show and become a cookbook author.
Fund-raising is no different. With dozens of "crowd-funding" sites out there, three-year-old Kickstarter.com being the largest, anyone with an artistic endeavor can raise millions in capital in a minute. Right?
Artists wish. Certainly, there are some amazing success stories, like in February, when designer Casey Hopkins asked for $75,000 to make a luxury iPhone dock out of aluminum and got $1.4 million (the first Kickstarter project to break $1 million pledged) or when this year Philadelphia artist Rich Burlew asked for $57,750 to put his comic books back in print, and ended up with $1.3 million.
But for most people, it's a panic-inducing slog as they make a case for their cause while a clock winds down. Even as they collect seemingly tons of pledges, if the goal isn't reached by the deadline - which fund-raisers choose themselves - no money changes hands and the project is canceled. Donors can cancel their pledges up until the end, as well.
"That's nerve-wracking," said Lynette Shelley, whose Philly-based band Red Masque raised $2,222 in 2012 to make an album. But if the goal is reached - or better, surpassed - "donor credit cards are charged at deadline . . . and given to our Amazon payments site."
So, is there a secret to Kickstarter success? Philadelphians, with 488 funded projects and more than $4 million in pledges, have had their share of success. But there are many locals with tales of woe, too. All reveal lessons learned.
When choreographer Megan Mazarick and director Mason Rosenthal met in 2011, they immediately began collaborating on a performance, Mining the Mine of the Mind for Minderals. Once their participation in the three-week Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe was confirmed, their next step was fund-raising, which Mazarick loathes.
"It's time-consuming and feels like groveling," Mazarick said. "But I felt passionately about wanting to do this work, and if we did not make our goal, I would have found another way to make the piece."
Kickstarter pages list all the cause's information, including a video, an explanation of the project, and a list of what donation levels earn what rewards - for $500 pledged, a signed print from a hope-to-be-published photography book, for instance - but sitting back and waiting will not earn pledges.
In Mazarick and Rosenthal's case, the pair estimated their stage, marketing, and Fringe fees at $3,500 - Amazon and Kickstarter take about 5 percent each of funds raised - then recorded YouTube requests (which they credit as key to their success) and wrote personal "ask letters" - detailed e-mails about the show's content and style and why the show was important. Mazarick's letters to her 200-plus mailing list also apologized for having to ask for money.
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Crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter yield a mixed record of success