Operation Smile Halloween Benefit

Peak-Incorporated is putting on another benefit for Operation Smile on Saturday October 26th at the Colorado Plus Brew Pub!

Operation Smile is an international nonprofit children's charity that provides free corrective surgery for children with facial deformities with limited access to healthcare as well as education for medical professionals around the world.

The event will be a Halloween costume contest and prizes will be awarded to the winners with the best costumes! And of course there will be awesome music and drinks! There will also be 50/50 raffles, and a percentage of the food and drink sales will be donated. 

This event promises to be a great time and we hope to see you there!! 

New Moves!

We have lots of exciting news here at Peak-Inc.! We're just going to brief you on a few things that are going on and then give you the details shortly in some upcoming blogs. So here's the scoop! 

*Our manager Billy Davenport opened his own office in Dallas, Texas in June working with AT&T! Alright, Billy! 

* Our manager Mike Giacinto opened his own office in Houston Texas today to work with AT&T! Way to go, Mike!!!

* Our assistant manager (and soon to be manager) Suzanne Hoofnagle will be opening her own office in Las Vegas and will be working with Century Link! Go get 'em, girl!!!

* Peak-Inc. will be hosting another benefit for Operation Smile in October. It will be a combination Halloween party/ fashion show and it will be super fun and for a great cause! 

More details on each topic coming soon and we have more great news yet to come! Thanks for checking us out!!!

Working Smart

I'm sure you've heard the saying, “Work smarter, not harder.” While of course it is super important to be a hard worker, at times we can make things more difficult for ourselves than necessary. 

Life’s successes are most often the result of the hard work we put in. However, our failures can be a result of hard work, too. Spending too much of our valuable time on unnecessary tasks can cause us to lose out on more important things. In order to become a successful leader in our careers, it is essential for us to decipher the difference between working hard and working smart. The two often go hand in hand, but we must be sure not to waste valuable time working hard on irrelevant, unimportant things. 

Here are a few simple rules to abide by when working smart. 

Plan. Always come up with a strategy and timeframe for your goals and tasks. If you don’t plan out your time, someone else will and that will not work in your favor. 

Prioritize. Make lists of what tasks are most important and set up timelines and deadlines. This way you can bang out the most important to-do’s first and if the less important things don’t get done, it won’t be as detrimental. 

Evaluate. Evaluate your routines and strategies often for successes and failures and make adjustments accordingly. If things aren’t going smoothly, change up your game plan and keep doing so until you get it right.

Delegate. Don’t try to tackle everything on your own. Hand out tasks to the appropriate people and work as a team. Create a trusting family atmosphere within your office and everyone will be willing to help each other get the job done for the good of the company.

Know when to put in the extra work. Some things will require extra hard work and that’s perfectly fine and to be expected. The goal here is to lighten the stress load when possible.

Know when to walk away. There will be certain situations when things just aren’t going to pan out and it’s okay to call it quits and chalk it up for experience. Now, I am in no way suggesting that you give up when the going gets tough, but there are always times when we just have to walk away and you just need to trust your own judgement or that of your superiors. 

How to Become a Morning Person

Is it true that some people are just not morning people? Is there some biological marker that dictates whether you're an early bird or a night owl? Unlikely. Chances are it’s your habits that contribute to your inability to hop out of bed feeling fresh and ready to tackle the day. You may have been getting up at 6:00 or 7:00 for work for years and still feel like your dragging your bum out the door. So what can you do about it? You may just have to make some simple changes to your routine.

Studies show that early birds don’t just get the worm, they tend to be more optimistic, more productive and more healthy overall! So here’s what you’ve got to do. 

Get enough sleep. It’s obvious, but a lot of us just don’t do it. Sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day! Seven to nine hours is absolutely necessary for optimal functioning. To make sure you’re getting enough sleep:

(Don’t do any activities in your bed except sleeping. It will send confusing messages to your brain and make it difficult to doze off when you're actually trying to sleep.

        Unplug at least a half an hour before bed (no t.v., cellphones, computers, or other electronics.) Electronics stimulate your brain too much and your mind will go bananas while your're trying to drift off to sleep. 

        One exception is if you’d like to use a relaxation app. There are some really great apps out there now that can have you asleep in minutes!)

Let the sunshine in! Keep the blinds open in your bedroom. The sunlight will allow your body’s circadian rhythm to take over and you will naturally want to wake up. 

Skip the snooze. It’s so tempting, but you know you’re just going to feel worse afterward and those ten minutes only feel like thirty seconds.  

Be consistent. Try waking up at the same time every day. Even on your days off. Or only sleep an hour later at the most. 

Exercise a little. Even if it’s just a little light stretching. It will help you get going in the morning. Before you know it, you might be one of those crazy people that wake up extra early to hit the gym before work! 

Boogie down! Or at least play your favorite tunes. You know how quickly music can turn your mood right around. Bop around a little while your getting ready and it will set the mood for your entire day! 

Don’t forget breakfast! Even if you’re one of those people that don’t like to eat first thing in the morning, make sure you eat a little something. It will keep you from crashing later on in the day and it will keep your stomach from making embarrassing noises at your morning meeting. 

Try these simple changes and in a few weeks you may notice a new pep in your step! 

De-stress Over the Weekend!

Sometimes we just need to take a mental health weekend! Maybe things have been a little crazy at work and it's been difficult trying to balance out your career and home life. Welp, if that's the case it's time to unwind, kick back and relax so you can start out fresh next week! 

The first step is making yourself a priority. Too often we're dividing our attention between too many other people and things. Shouldn't it be okay to focus on yourself once in a while? Make a list of a few things you've been wanting to get done so you can stop worrying about them and then spend the rest of the time doing the things you enjoy most. Read a good book, go to the beach, cook a great meal, catch up on your favorite show, mix up a yummy cocktail (or a few!), or spend time with your family and friends. 

Meditate! Don't knock it until you've tried it! It is probably the single most relaxing activity there is. If it's too weird for you, take a nice bath or relaxing shower. Or go for a long walk or a hike. Connect with nature. Get in tune with your spiritual self! Life gets too crazy and hectic sometimes (as we all know) and it's so important to just take a break and escape within yourself. 

Eat well. People tend to go nuts on the weekends eating whatever the heck they want, only to regret it almost instantly. How many times have you been psyched to go out to eat and made a sinfully poor choice only to feel painfully full and almost sad afterwards and then just wanted to take a nap and bask in your own self pity and sorrow. I know I'm guilty! Try to make lighter, healthier choices. You'll feel lighter, healthier, happier, and actually be able to do something after! 

Get enough sleep. Weekends are the perfect time to catch up on some much needed slumber.

Try not to overindulge on the alcohol. Although, hey...sometimes the margaritas are just calling, right?! If it's just one of those nights, alternate between alcoholic beverages and water. Make sure to eat before you go out, before you go to bed, have a fruit juice spritzer in the morning and you just might be okay!

Exercise! 

HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEKEND!!

7 of the Greatest Sales Books

Whether you’re just beginning a career in sales or whether you’re a seasoned pro, it’s always in your best interest to keep learning! I’ve compiled a list of some of the greatest sales books on the market right now. If you’re looking to venture into a new career or if you’d like to brush up on your skills, you may be interested in checking out some of these books. Go ahead and take a look!

1.The Psychology of Selling; By: Brian Tracy 

This book provides strategies and methods that implement psychology into a business perspective. Tracy explains the motivations of both the salesperson and the prospect in order to demonstrate the dynamics, opportunities and benefits for each party involved in the interaction.

2.What Great Salespeople Do; By: Michael Bosworth 

In this book, Bosworth takes a modern approach to sales. He emphasizes the importance of honesty and fostering trusting relationships. He leads with an emotional approach and stresses the fact that we are all human, and that people respond to our vulnerability. One noteworthy quote from his book is, “People who tell the stories rule the world”.

3.How To Win Friends and Influence People; By: Dale Carnegie

This is quite possibly one of the best motivational books in history. This is a top book for pretty much any subject and will honestly make your whole life better, overall. This book is a wonderful manual for how to interact with and treat others. It will drastically improve your professional relationships and will likely improve the outcome of your sales interactions. 

4.Spin Selling; By: Neil Rackham

The concept of this book is that difficult and complex sales deserve a different process. Spin Selling describes this different process thoroughly and it is said that SPIN can help anyone sell anything. Hey! Sounds like a pretty good deal to me! 

5.Selling to Big Companies; By: Jill Konrath

This book explains the differences in approach when dealing with large companies. Konrath explains how to manage the politics of large companies while helping them make wise decisions that will benefit their company. 

6. Strategic Selling; By: Robert B. Miller, Stephen E. Heiman, with Tad Tuleja

The concept of this book is to provide an understanding of how a company’s sales strategy and plan of execution can make or break a business model and therefore the business itself. This book describes in detail some of the best practices and models of successful firms and why they work so well. 

7.The Greatest Salesman in the World; By: Og Mandino

Mandino’s purpose behind this book is to rediscover the “why” behind selling, stearing away from the stereotype of manipulation and moving more toward the concept of helping others with what they actually need. 

All of these books can be found on Amazon. Happy sales! 

Get to Know Our CEO! As told by little sister, Nicole

For those of you who don’t know our President/CEO, Eric Norregaard that well, (or even those of you who do!) we thought we should let you know a little bit about his background. Luckily, I, as his little sister have  access to the inside scoop! 

1. Eric was born on April 8th, 1987 of Christine and Frederick Norregaard. Exactly two years later, baby sis was born on April 8th, 1989. (And was probably the best birthday present he ever got.) He also has an older brother, Daniel who works in the restaurant industry.

Danny and Eric

Nicole and Eric

Eric, Danny and Nicole

  

2. From a very young age, Eric showed great determination and spunk! He was a natural born saver and business man! When Eric was about twelve years old, his dad ripped a one dollar bill in half. He kept one half for himself and handed the other half to Eric and told him that if he kept it until he turned 18, he would give him $500.00. (Imagine the shock on poor ole’ Freddie’s face when Eric walked up to him on his 18th birthday holding that half of a bill, grinning ear to ear.) 

3. We lived up the street from these wonderful people; the O'Briens. Sue (mom), Tommy, Courtney and the legendary Big Guy (David). We have known them our whole lives and consider them to be family more than friends. 

4. Eric used to rock out on the drums and played football throughout his childhood for Dracut Pop Warner. 

5. Eric’s first job was scooping ice cream at Heritage Farm in Lowell, MA at 14 years old.

6. Eric spent a lot of his childhood at his family’s log cabin (which he actually helped build along with his father and uncles) in the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

7. Eric attended a vocational high school in greater Lowell focusing in culinary while also taking part in the school’s football and wrestling programs. He also worked at Todd English’s restaurant, Olive’s, in Charlestown, MA, while in  school. 

8. After graduating from high school, Eric attended college at Johnson and Wale’s University in Rhode Island, majoring in Culinary Nutrition. (And he can make a mean risotto that would leave even the great Gordon Ramsay speechless!)

9. While studying at JWU, he worked at Summer Winter at the Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA as well as The Stonehedge Inn&Spa in Tyngsboro, MA. 

10. After graduating College, Eric worked at the Charter Oak Country Club in Hudson MA and also worked as a nutritional consultant for some professional athletes including Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Vontae Davis, and Matthew Stafford.

11. Although Eric enjoyed his culinary career, he decided to explore a new avenue and dove head first into the wonderful world of sales. He always wanted to own his own business and had never experienced working in sales before so he jumped right in and quickly worked his way up to where he is now! 

12. In 2011, Eric left his home town of Dracut Massachusetts with a small crew and together, along with the new additions to the team, they turned Peak-Incorporated into what it is today!