Here are a few ways to help keep your rock star’s star from flaming out:

1. Commend
   We often take for granted that our best performers know how much we value them. Be sure you’re recognizing their efforts often or someone else will woe them away. A few words of appreciation go long way.
2. Communicate
   Do you know what your best employee wants next for their career or where they see themselves in a few years? It may not be with your organization if you aren’t talking to them about future growth and your vision for them going forward. Sit down and ask about their career aspirations and how you can make those dreams come true. Who knows. You might be able to make each other’s dreams a reality.
3. Cultivate
   Rather than spending time and resources on fixing problem employees, your employee development dollars are better invested in the same people you rely so heavily day-to-day. Create situations where your top performers can be side-by-side with other high performers by making sure they participate in their professional society, community boards and leadership programs such as a Leadership Posse.

Nurturing top performers is very deliberate and very personal. However, a small investment of time and development dollars in your top performers is inexpensive compared to the cost of replacing your best team members.

We’ve all been there. We wake up half rested, groggy and even a bit disoriented. The fall out of continuously not getting enough sleep leaves us more than just feeling a little groggy in the morning. Lack of sleep can have a detrimental domino effect on your overall mental and physical well-being.

New research is telling us that not sleeping well is much more dangerous to our health than just feeling tired. In the short term, you may find that you make mistakes at home or work and it takes longer to complete tasks. You may experience decreased alertness and experience more stress in relationships. It is even said that work and automobile injuries are more common in people who don’t sleep well.  Lack of sleep is associated with many serious medical issues including high blood pressure, obesity, heart issues, stroke and mood disorders.

Here are 5 tips to more restful sleep:

1. Go to bed at the same time each evening – your body and mind get into their own natural sleep rhythm.
2. Turn your screens off at least an hour prior to going to bed – the blue light from our mobile devices and televisions actually prevent us from winding down at night.
3. Write it down – capture your thoughts on paper about the day’s activities and what is on your agenda for tomorrow.
4. Gratitude – remember all you are grateful for always for connection to your soul.
5. Meditation – take a few intentional moments to wind down – loosen your jaw, let go of tension, focus on your breath and allow thoughts to come & go without any judgment.

As we transition into winter, it’s the perfect time to give our bedtime routine some attention.  Sweet dreams.

Anglin PR specializes in internal and external research to help companies refine the messaging to effectively reach the client base. Debbie says that the primary objective is to identify an unique approach for each business. Anglin PR focuses on creating custom strategic solutions that work with the client’s big ideas and budget.

For any business, it’s difficult to look internally to see growth opportunities or potential missteps. Debbie sought out services from The Mettise Group to help her develop a long term strategic plan and goals to build a high performance team. She also receives financial consulting services from The Mettise Group to guide her in analyzing key metrics. Additionally, she is a member of the Posse. She loves being able to turn to fellow members in a very transparent and yet confidential way. “When I am stuck, I get compassion and trustworthy advice,” she says. All of these services help to steward her business and free up time to spend on client projects.

Oklahoma City — EMBARK unveiled Bermuda Green, Clear Sky Blue and Redbud as the colors for the brand identity of the MAPS 3’s Oklahoma City Streetcar. Three color palettes were revealed to show each of the six streetcars painted with a saturated, tonal color palette.

“Our use of color is bold and modern. It’s significant of where we are as a city – our growth over the past decade, and reflects EMBARK’s bold optimism,” says Jason Ferbrache, EMBARK administrator. “Stakeholders told us they wanted modern, forward-thinking, unique and approachable. That’s what we delivered.”

The next steps are construction of the maintenance facility scheduled to start in August; laying down the rails that the vehicles will travel on, scheduled to start later this year; and design of the 22 stops along the route. The 4.6-mile route will connect downtown, Bricktown, Midtown, the Arts District and Automobile Alley and circulate every 10-12 minutes. The streetcar is expected to be in operation by the end of 2018.

The MAPS 3 Modern Streetcar will be named the Oklahoma City Streetcar, which can be abbreviated as OKC Streetcar. It will be for everyone who works, visits, or lives downtown, will be ADA compliant and will be a part of EMBARK’s family of transit services.

“I can’t wait,” says Sherry Dale, owner of Mettise, an organizational consulting group.  She lives in northwest Oklahoma City, her clients are all over the city and she has meetings in the downtown area several times a week.  “I’m looking forward to the streetcar so that when I visit clients downtown, I can get between meetings and lunch without having to move my car from garage to garage or risk a ticket at a meter when a meeting runs over.”

The brand strategy was created by Spoke, a branding firm in Portland, OR with input from stakeholders. EMBARK and Spoke solicited input through multiple meetings, focus groups and surveys. That process uncovered common themes and opinions.

“Our research in Oklahoma City and conversations with residents and stakeholders showed us a warm city that is energetic and confident.  We were inspired by the changing aesthetics and the city’s success in revitalizing the core,” says Brian Kerr, principal of Spoke. “The OKC Streetcar is an ambitious, forward-thinking project.  Its strengths lie in framing a network for building community and being a catalyst for economic growth. Over and over, we heard stakeholders tell us they wanted straightforward, connected and approachable. The streetcar symbol is inspired by the shape of the streetcar, combined with that sense of connection and an oblique reference to the EMBARK brand arrow. It evokes motion, fluidity, forward-thinking and ease of transit.”

Clients are able to choose from six different rooms at The Escape. Each room has a puzzle which takes the participants approximately 1 hour to solve. The goal is for team members to work together to solve a puzzle in order to escape. The offering is much more than a board game. Participants gain a deeper understanding of themselves and fellow players as they work through the challenges.  From friends & family to company team building to game enthusiasts, The Escape offers an unique, challenging and fun hour of adventure.

Andrew is a client of The Mettise Group. He values the advice and counsel The Mettise Group has provided for strategies he would have overlooked. From the advice he has received, The Escape has improved its business administrative processes. Armed with that knowledge, Andrew plans to open more locations and bring The Escape experience to more markets and people.

In 2013, Norris graduated from the SBA Emerging Leaders program. He worked closely with mentor, Gene Hopper, from The Mettise Group. Through this mentorship, WasteSolutionsLLC has grown 1,000 percent. He found that instead of over-analyzing issues. He can now concentrate on the core values of his company. It’s helped him gain confidence to grow. He plans to branch out into city and commercial business. In 2016, Norris was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber.

In 2008, Bethanie Britton saw buying Country Leisure Manufacturing as not only a fun opportunity but also a way to bring families together in the digital age. Country Leisure Manufacturing opened in 1986 and sold hot tubs, above-ground pools and maintenance services. Under Bethanie’s leadership, Country Leisure Manufacturing has expanded to include in-ground pools, splash pads, quality outdoor furniture and outdoor kitchens. They have become an overall quality outdoor lifestyle store. In addition to product expansion, Country Leisure Manufacturing also now provides education through a free Pool School. They strive to be a leader in educating consumers about the care and maintenance of their pool, splash pad or hot tub.

Bethanie said The Mettise Group provides support and is there when they need them. The Mettise Group provides different ideas and solutions to help her make her business even better.