5 Fun Facts About Halloween

October is here and we know what that means! One of our favorite holidays at LNE Consulting, Halloween, is quickly approaching!

But how much do you really know about Halloween or Hallow’s Eve as it is sometimes called? Check out the list below of 5 fun facts about the holiday that you may never have heard before!

1. Halloween is actually believed to have Irish origins. They have a holiday called “Samhain,” which is a festival of the dead. Dia de Los Muertos is also a popular day in the Hispanic culture which is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. 
2. Trick-or-treating used to be much more involved. For instance, you used to have to dance for your candy, or actually beg. Also, it was very common for tricksters to play jokes on the people they were begging from — and some could be quite mean spirited!

   

3. Jack-o-lanterns, which were traditionally created to scare away the evil spirits, used to be made out of more than just pumpkins. People used to carve beets, potatoes, and radishes as well! Perhaps not quite as large or scary as a pumpkin, though!  
4. Halloween is sometimes referred to as Hallow’s Eve because the next day, November 1st, is called “All Saints Day,” which is a day dedicated to the saints of the Catholic church. It is also, as previously mentioned, Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico. 
5. In Rome, they used to celebrate a festival called “Pomona,” which celebrated the goddess of the harvest. This festival was thrown around the same time as Halloween is celebrated now, and we have adopted some of their celebration activities, like bobbing for apples!

   

 

Can you see why Halloween is such a fun holiday? The holiday is a combination of so many different cultures and fun events. LNE Consulting’s favorite part is definitely the fun costumes. From all of us at LNE Consulting, we hope you have a fantastic Halloween and see lots of fun costumes. Follow us on Instagram to check out what we’re doing for Halloween.

Here’s a picture from last Halloween!

 

5 Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July [IDEAS]

July is here and everyone knows that the best barbecuing holiday is quickly approaching! All of us at LNE Consulting are really looking forward to celebrating in our own ways. Just in case you haven’t yet solidified your plans for the fourth, we thought we’d supply a few ideas to celebrate this wonderful day of Independence in South Florida.

 

1. Call up friends and family, get everyone together for a close-knit affair. Get the grill going, throw some hot dogs on the grill, try grilling veggies for a healthier take. Buy some lemonade from the grocery store and supply cool drinks by the pool (perhaps an inflatable one.) The important thing is that you’re all together and you can plan your day around family and friends.

 

2. Head on over to Charnow Park, the beachside located right in Hollywood, FL between 2 pm and 10 pm for a fun-filled day of family activities and picnics. Fireworks will be shown, offshore, at 9 pm and viewing opportunities are available anywhere along the beach. More information is available on their website.

 

3. If you feel like getting out on the Fourth of July, the city of Miami is hosting their annual 4th of July 5K run. Start your day early, with registration from 5:30 – 6:30 am and the race starting at 7:04 am. Funds from this race will benefit ALSAC, St. Jude’s Research Center and the Go Run Project. For only $10 your family can take place in a barbecue after the race, and there is a kiddie dash too! What fun!

 

4. Light off some small fireworks of your own. Now in Florida, fireworks available for consumer usage are limited to sparklers, colored smoke ONLY fireworks and glow worm fireworks. Essentially fireworks that burn without exploding. Leave the dangerous ones to the fireworks officials, but in the meantime, why not enjoy some sparklers in the dark on this wonderful Fourth of July. For a full list of legal fireworks check out this website. 

5. If you don’t feel like dealing with traffic or going out to buy fireworks yourself, why not just tune into one of the incredible fireworks shows all around the world. From New York City to Boston and more, there are beautiful fireworks displays available for viewing, all depending on what you’re feeling We watch the NYE ball drop from NYC all over the world, so why not watch some fireworks too?

All of us at LNE Consulting wish you a great Independence day filled with family, friends, food, and fireworks! Follow LNE Consulting on Instagram for more updates regarding our Fourth of July plans!

Getting To Know Justin Callahan

At LNE Consulting, we take pride in having a strong and distinguished team. We believe each member of our team plays a significant role in achieving our long-term goals. Today, we’ll be learning more about one of LNE Consulting‘s newer members; Justin Callahan.

Q: What is your first and last name?

A: Justin Callahan

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Q: Where are you from?

A: I’m originally from Philadelphia.

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Q: How long have you been working with the company?

A: I have been working at LNE Consulting for roughly 2 months.

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Q: What attracted you to the company?

A: I was attracted to the opportunity to learn and grow within a company that promotes from within.

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Q: What have you accomplished/learned in the short time that you’ve been working here?

A: I have learned time management, the different theories on different types of customers and approaches on dealing with each, and how to work and inspire other to achieve their goals.

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Q: What next steps are you most excited about?

A: I look forward to helping to develop other people within the company and moving into a management position.

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We are very pleased to have Justin on board the LNE Consulting team and are excited about what lay ahead. He possesses the traits that we value and believe he will be a great asset to our team.

10 Things You May Not Know About the Month of June

June has arrived and all of us at LNE Consulting (Hollywood, FL) are happy to see the beautiful weather that summer has brought us. While we are still hard at work, we spent a little time getting to know what interesting things this month of June has in store. We found out 10 interesting facts about the month of June that are worth a read!

1. June 2nd is National Donut Day, a day dedicated to celebrating those circular treats that we can’t get enough of. Glazed, jelly, creme, you name it – we love it. Tip: Many donut franchises offer free donuts on this day, so be sure to take a moment and see if any stores near you are participating.

2. The word June is thought to be derived from the word Juno. Juno was a Roman Goddess and the wife of Jupiter. In Greek mythology, Juno’s name is Hera and Jupiter is the Roman counterpart of Zeus, king of the Gods.

3. June is considered the prime month for marriage. This could be due to the weather or the fact that Juno is the Roman version of Hera, the Greek goddess of love and marriage.

4. Some experts believe that June was actually named after the Latin word “Junius” meaning, young and that May was named after the word “Maiores,” meaning old. Since June is the first month of summer, it represents a time of rebirth and growth.

5. June is National Rose Month. This month is dedicated to this classically beautiful flower, the rose. Be it red, pink or white, take the time to give a loved one an elegant rose or head over to somewhere that sells rosebush starters. What goes together better than summer and flowers?

6. Alexandrite, Moonstone, and Pearl are the birthstones for people born in June. Alexandrite represents health, learning, and longevity, Moonstone represents calming change and new beginnings and Pearl represents faith and purity.

7. The June beetle is a type of beetle originating from the Scarabaeidae family. It has been given its name because it commonly reappears in the month of June when plants are in full bloom and there is plenty of foliage to eat.

8. The Wimbledon Tennis Championships are the oldest and most prestigious Tennis tournaments in the world. They are held during the last two weeks of June and the finish in early July. 

9. June 19th is fathers day! And while you probably already knew this, an extra reminder never hurt when it comes to honoring dad, or any father-like figures that are important people in your life. 

10. June 21st is the longest day of the year. It marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. The sun will be out for nearly all 12 hours of the day, so enjoy the extra daylight and maybe do something fun!

Keep up with LNE Consulting by checking out our Instagram page.

Have a wonderful June!

Get to Know LNE Consulting Team Member Jovani Rodriguez

At LNE Consulting we understand how significant our team members are to the work we do, so we thought we’d take a moment to sit down with one of them and get to know a bit about the people who make LNE Consulting the close-knit company that it is. Today we did a little question, answer interview with Jovani Rodriguez who has only been with the company for 16 months and yet has made a very large impact with his positive attitude and go-getter mentality.

Q: Can you tell us about your manager? What is the best part of working with him/her?

A: Mrs. Julie Edmonds is an amazing manager, her desire and motivation to help others is incredible. She is very determined and focuses on continuing to grow and bring out the best in others. She’s also very humble and caring. One of the things that she does that makes me laugh is when she starts laughing it’s like she can’t stop and just keep laughing and laughing continuously! The best part of working with Julie is knowing how successful she is and that she is willing to help me accomplish my goals!

Q: Describe the people that you work with.  What are they like?

A: The people I work with in the office are great! Everybody is very motivated and fun to work with. Some are motivated to give their family a better lifestyle, others are motivated to become their own boss and impact others lives positively.  It’s great to surround yourself with successful people and learn from one another. My assistant manager, Otto Hurtado, has become like a brother to me and he is someone I’m very grateful to be able to work with.

Q: What have been some of your favorite team night activities? In your own words, why do you think team nights are important?

A: Team nights are extremely important it gives us an opportunity to bond, create great relationships and have a lot of fun! One of my favorites is when we go bowling! Or go watch sports.

Everything that Jovani had to say about the close relationship he has with his LNE family is exactly the kind of thing that LNE strives to promote with our employees. We are so glad to have Jovani as a part of our team. Thank you Jovani!

To keep up with LNE Consulting check us out on Facebook or follow our Instagram page.

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Fear Failure

Enjoy these reflections from LNE Consulting about the role failure plays in achieving success.

How many times in our lives have we avoided attempting something due to our own fear of failure? Spanning from adolescence to our adulthood we are programmed to be afraid of defeat, that any set back is the peril to our success. This disillusioned idea is one that prevents a remarkable amount of the population from chasing their dreams. Failing is a part of life, it is a minor detour on the highway to success.

Bill Gates once said, “it’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” Before becoming one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard and was an original co-owner of a company known as Traf-O-Data, a company that had to close shortly after 1980 due to a loss of funds. Through the failures of his first company, he was able to use the lessons endured to create the technology mecca that is Microsoft. Many others who have managed to be just as fortunate as Gates all went through very similar models. If at any point, any of the greatest minds had been afraid of failure, we would live in a drastically different world than we do today.

Throughout our lives we are held underneath a microscope of scrutiny, it all begins with our schooling and spans to whichever endeavors we choose to procure. Did you know that Albert Einstein failed his first entrance exam to the Zurich Polytechnic, a university in Switzerland? It probably would have been easy to give up, but Einstein understood that his poor grade was only a minor setback. He came back a year later and passed the exam which ultimately paved the way toward becoming what many consider to be the greatest astrophysicist to ever live.

Not only are we captivated by the idea of success, but we have become dependent upon that being the only option. We refuse to take chances due to our own illogical fears of not succeeding the first time. The idea of failure impedes our will to think outside of the box, it stunts our ambition and hampers our self-esteem. Why do we use defeat as a reason not to do something, when we should be using it as the reason to rise up and overcome? Why do we allow our shortcomings to consume us and prevent us from reaching our true potential? An opportunity to improve should never be looked at in a negative light.

Throughout history, our society has publicized the great achievements of mankind. Whether it be in science, sports, politics, business, etc., we are taught that success is the ultimate goal. That those with the luxury of being prosperous are role models for the rest of us. What goes highly disregarded is all of the hurdles that needed to be jumped in order to reach that level of success. Here is why both you and I should not fear failure because anyone that ever became anything in life had to do it.

Connect with LNE Consulting on LinkedIn for a curated feed of great articles related to this subject matter!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Here’s How to Fix Your Life in Time for Spring

Spring has sprung! Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and the DIY Network is insisting that you clean your house from top to bottom. While one of those three is not as lovely as the other two, spring can be an excellent excuse to get a fresh start. So, while you’re dusting the top of your bookcase and rearranging your knickknacks to be more “Zen,” LNE Consulting has a few ways you can take that cleansing motivation and apply it to what really matters: you.

In the interest of being green in honor of Earth Day, and in the spirit of the season, let’s take a look at three tips that will help you improve both your personal and professional life.

Reduce:

We all have negativity that brings us down. Things from our past that are holding us back because we are having trouble letting go (I’m looking at you, coach that put me on JV track when you know darn well I should have been on Varsity!). In order to reduce your stress and let yourself focus on what’s going on right now, it’s important to decide what you actually need to keep in your life, and what can melt away with the last of the snow. Take a good hard look at what in your past still makes you angry, guilty or upset, and decide if it’s productive to keep holding on to it. If it isn’t, it may be time to let go.

Reuse:

Now before you (mentally) throw everything out, stop for a moment and think: can you reuse anything you learned from a past experience with a current situation? Many people find themselves struggling through issues as though they’re brand new, only to realize that a similar past experience has a reusable solution. So, before you shrug off your past, pause and try to compare your ancient issue with the current dilemma you’re having with your boss, your significant other, your best friend, your cat. They always say to learn from your mistakes, but how often are we thinking of old errors while we make new ones? Take this self-analytical time to dredge up old feelings and—more importantly—old resolutions.

Recycle:

Spring is the perfect time to dust off a great book that you haven’t read in a while and re-cycle its purpose in your life. If it’s been a year since you’ve read How to Win Friends and Influence People, there’s no doubt that you’ll read the same words differently after four seasons of new life experiences. Think about how you can repurpose and reexpose yourself to things you’ve read and heard before.

Read more about LNE Consulting on Crunchbase.

 

 

5 Reasons to Eliminate Excuses From Your Repertoire — STAT!

This April, LNE Consulting is reflecting on the importance of eliminating excuses from our lives. Check out these five reasons to nix your excuse-making habit today.

1. Excuses make you look unprofessional.

Think about it — the real pros get the job done — NO MATTER WHAT! It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing, if they didn’t sleep the night before, if they’re sick, or if the earth is rotating in reverse. True professionals rise above and figure it out.

2. Excuses lessen your credibility.

If you’re a habitual excuse maker, we’ve got bad news for you: most people don’t believe your excuses! They may work on someone you’ve just met who hasn’t been witness to your behavioral pattern yet — but don’t even get us started on what kind of first impression this makes! The bottom line is that whether your excuses are legitimate or not, they can very easily make you look like a liar.

3. Excuses set you up for a “boy who cried wolf scenario.”

This is something to genuinely be concerned about. Every now and then — truly once in a blue moon — something really does happen that warrants an “excuse.” This might include a death in the family, an extreme sickness or hospitalization, or something major along those lines.

But what happens if you’ve been making drastic excuses on a regular basis? Will people believe you when something real and significant happens? Will they care?

We’re all human, and life happens to all of us — so be careful not to play the emergency card when it isn’t warranted.

4. The excuse-making habit rubs off on those around you.

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of an excuse, you know how infuriating it is. One of the worst things you can do as a team leader is set the precedent for your team that excuses are acceptable. The same goes for your family, children, friends, and anyone around you for that matter. Excuses can be contagious — so if you don’t want to hear a list of reasons why someone didn’t show up when he/she was supposed to, be sure to obey the golden rule.

“Treat others as you would like to be treated.”

5. Above all else, excuses hold you back from making progress.

A fulfilling life is all about moving forward, and one of two things usually happens along this journey: either you make excuses or you work towards results. So which will you choose?

Connect with LNE Consulting on LinkedIn before you go!

2 Quotes About Goal-Setting to Motivate You Today

Did you know that goal-setting is not just a weekly and monthly process at LNE Consulting, but a daily one? This is one of the activities that our CEO, Julie Edmonds, attributes to almost two decades of business success. In our experience, taking the time to think about and write down our goals provides essential clarity to the activities of the day. When each member of the team knows what he or she is striving for, we are able to hit the start button for the day and run like a well-oiled machine.

Importantly, goal-setting creates accountability. If Jovani and Leidis, team leaders at LNE Consulting, write down their goals and exceed them, we know that they deserve an extra pat on the back that day! Likewise, if one of their counterparts falls short of his goals, we know that it might be time for some mentoring, or at least a pep talk to bring him up to speed. Either way, our written goals provide a checklist at the end of each day, week, month, quarter, and year, making it easy to measure progress.

Here’s the first quote that we’re loving today! …

“Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit.” –Bear Bryant

The Alabama football coach couldn’t be more right! Quitting is so easy. And of course, the things that are easy are always the most tempting.

And here’s another!

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” –Bill Copeland

Another excellent point — surprisingly not from a sports icon, though it sounds that way! Copeland, an American poet and writer, makes a case for deciding what matters to you. It’s not unlike this famous scene from Alice in Wonderland:

Are you setting aside time on a regular basis to decide where you’re going?

We’ve always got new content for you to check out! Like LNE Consulting on Facebook to stay up to date with everything happening here in Hollywood, FL!

PIECES OF ADVICE FOR RECENT COLLEGE GRADS, PART II

LNE Consulting is here to offer a few more constructive steps towards success during post-grad life. Don’t be immersed in unnecessary stress. Breathe, we are here to help!

(If you missed Part I you can read it here!)

Clean up your act! (Or at least just your social media)



Unless you’re applying for a social media based position, delete your social media accounts. Certain companies will find a way past your security settings. Leverage your network of friends and contacts, advisors, professors, parents, anyone who can get you a foot in the door. Just because you may have a mature presence in the social media world, does not mean your old high school friends that you haven’t talked to since PE Freshman year of high school do.

Be yourself

“All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called YOU.”

– Tom Peters in Fast Company

While it is important to know what a company is looking for in a candidate, it is also important to bring your distinctive qualities to the table. We look for unique individuals at LNE Consulting. Many companies aren’t just looking at your education and skill set, but are also looking largely at your personality. Are you friendly? Upbeat? Positive? And most importantly, are you genuine? Don’t put on a front of anyone you’re not. If your most authentic self isn’t able to land you the gig, then it isn’t the gig for you. There is no sense in wasting both the employer’s time and your time pretending to be fit for a job that you you are not.

Work Hard

Dreams don’t work unless you do. Remember, embarking on this journey is new. Despite your degree, you don’t know as much as you think you do; don’t be above anything. Work hard. Ask questions. Work hard. Don’t expect it to be easy. Work hard. Don’t look for excuses.

Always put your best foot forward, maintain a positive work ethic and be open to all the possibilities this new adventure will bring. At LNE Consulting, we understand how plunging into new experiences like post-grad life can be a scary process, but as one chapter ends, another begins, and with it comes excitement and opportunities.