The C&P Blog Contest Winner

We had a friendly competition in our office to see who could write The Best Blog Post of them All!  And it turns out,  all of the submissions were amazing (in addition to the winner, you’ll be reading some of the other great entries over the next few weeks!) and it was hard to pick just one winner, but we did manage!  CLICK HERE to read the WINNING blog post!

The C&P Blog Post Contest WINNER: John Dietz

A brief traveler’s Guide to the Colombia District of Maryland/Virginia

This weekend I found myself traveling to Washington DC, which is a great place to visit. It’s also a city built on a swamp. Being from Florida, I immediately knew of the wisdom of that decision. To get to DC, it’s suggested to take the metro in. You will know you are there because all of the metro stops look like caverns located somewhere in the Star War’s Universe. I was assured this was not the case, but I swear I saw an Ewok in business casual right before the doors closed. Everyone on the metro is not talking while you travel. Presumably this is because everyone is deep in thought solving political problems, like “Why is there carpet in the metro cars?” and “Was that an Ewok in a Cardigan?”

 Once you arrive in DC you will be invigorated with the sights and smells of a busy metropolis. You will want to immediately make your way away from that smell and to the mall. That’s were all the really good shopping is. Of course, I found it strange to have a mall in the middle of the city. Without an ocean of parking spaces I have no idea where everyone puts their cars.

Turns out, the mall is where the country has decided to place all of our school children in matching shirts. It also has some museums. The Smithsonian of Natural History is one of them. There I discovered an exhibit on the largest snake ever found called Titanoboa. Its name is Latin for “holy moly that’s a big boa!” Also in that museum is the Hope diamond. I have to assume the diamond is so named because the wife of the man who discovered it hoped she would get it herself. Turns out the French King got it instead. Having my ice cream I bought in the gift shop melt too quickly minutes before, I knew exactly how she felt. I guess we all have to live with hardship.

 As I wandered through another section of the Museum of Natural History, I found a CSI lab. There the Smithsonian needs your help. You, the well informed tourist, must help them solve very old deaths by looking at some bones! Having seen this episode, I immediately knew it was the Pizza delivery guy. Others around me postulated maybe he died because he was 400 years old. After vigorous debate, we concluded that bones are icky. No further conclusions could be reached because another group of school children in matching orange shirts arrived via mass stampede. I was barely able to escape with my fanny pack.

Reinvigorated with life, I proceeded to the nearest metro stop, 17.9 nautical miles from the museum, to go back to my hotel. Perhaps tomorrow I would see some monuments. I’ve always heard Lincoln is larger when sitting in chairs…

- John Dietz, LEED AP, Architectural Graduate @ C&P

Travel Blog by John Dietz

Mid-Week Pep Talk, Courtesy of an 11 Year Old College Graduate

Have you ever met a person that just glows with success and happiness?  They seem to be great at life and living and their chosen profession.  Well, it’s because they are passionate.  (And patient.  And hard working.  Among other things.)  The key is finding what you are the best at, and pursuing it with extreme vigor, which is precisely the mantra of 14 year-old Moshe Kai Cavalin, a college graduate and author at the ripe old age of 11.  He emphasizes that hard work and dedication were responsible for his success. “I was able to reach the stars, but others can reach the Milky Way,” he humbly adds, “People need to know that you don’t have to be a genius.  You just have to work hard and you can accomplish anything!”

As Dale Carnegie puts it, “Flaming enthusiasm, backed by horse sense and persistence, are the qualities that most frequently make for success.”  And it isn’t all about success.  It’s also about another key element: happiness.  But they CAN coincide.  They SHOULD coincide.

Not everything we do in life will be something worth “pursuing with flaming enthusiasm”.  But life becomes wasted when a majority of what you’re doing with it is not something that you feel passionate about.  In my opinion, you can never be truly successful at something that you aren’t enthusiastic about.  An integral part of success is the sense of satisfaction and happiness that comes along with.

The moral-of-the-blog is inspired by something my 6^th grade teacher taught our class:  be the best at what you do, be humble, be patient, work hard and watch as others wonder how you shine so brightly.

~ Karah Wilson, Design Coordinator @ C&P

Tags: Cuhaci & Peterson, Dale Carnegie, happiness, life, living, Moshe Kai Cavalin, motivation, success

Pedaling for Megan

For nearly 30 years now I have had the pleasure, once or twice a year, to raise a few dollars to benefit MS and at the same time, spend a carefree weekend cruising around Florida on a bicycle.  Although I always knew my pedaling was for a good cause, I maintained a somewhat nonchalant attitude about it until a vibrant young lady named Megan came into the picture around 2007.

A ride was coming up, and as usual, I was passing the hat around the office for contributions to a good cause.  Megan cheerfully tossed in a few dollars, and after reading the donation receipt which listed MS symptoms and other key information, Megan realized that she HAD a lot of those very symptoms.

Megan checked with her doctor, and sure enough, she was diagnosed with early stages of Multiple Sclerosis.  The good news is, with early detection, great medical care and lifestyle adjustment, Megan is now living an unrestricted life.  In fact, she and her husband are expecting a baby any day now!

Megan has since taken over my fund raising efforts, raising thousands of dollars (versus the couple hundred I used to come up with) in addition to the equally important aspect of spreading awareness of the disease.

I am pedaling my butt off on those suddenly more meaningful and important MS Tour bike rides now, because I have a real life MS friend who is way better now than she might have been because of me, biking to raise awareness for MS.  Now, I pedal for Megan.

Thank You Megan and God Bless!

Tags: Florida, MS 150, Multiple Sclerosis

WONDERful Things: We CAN make them Happen!

In these times of trial and uncertainty in the corporate world, it’s can be easy to feel down about the economy and the fact that no one knows when business will be on the upswing again.  But things are put into perspective pretty fast when you learn that,  right here in Central Florida, over 246,690 children go hungry on a regular basis throughout the year.  To put that number into perspective – Greg Higgerson from The Second Harvest Food Bank shared this illustration with me: Imagine these 246,690 children lined up shoulder to shoulder alongside I-4, facing toward the traffic.  It would take 1 hour of driving time @ 70MPH to pass by each child – that’s from Orlando to Daytona.  It’s uncomfortable and disheartening to think about, but we NEED to think about it.  THIS IS AMERICA for goodness sake – children are going hungry amongst an abundance of food?  This just shouldn’t be.

The good news is that SO many people in the community care, and are willing to do something about it.  In particular, C&P and 13 other AEP firms, schools and even Girl Scouts joined together to fight the hunger epidemic in Central Florida.  It’s all a part of Canstruction – a national event, comprised of individual local competitions to build amazing 8′x8′x8′ structures out of cans of food, then donate it to The Second Harvest Food Bank. This year, we built “Wonders” to help fight hunger.  “Wonders of the World” were erected out of canned food items – 31,947 to be exact.  31,947 food items will be on the tables of the hungry in CFL in less than a week.

And it shouldn’t stop there.  Especially with the holidays approaching, we should all dig a little deeper, maybe do just one extra thing to help others – when we all do just one extra thing, it all adds up to a better community!

~Karah Wilson, Marketing Coordinator @ C&P

Wonders of the World – Photo courtesy of Andres Mogollon

Tags: Architects, CANosseum, Canstruction, Central Florida, Cuhaci & Peterson, Feeding America, food drive, Philanthropy, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

The Warrior Within

C&P has been a great advocate for health and fitness over the years and signups for 5K’s are more frequently showing up in our in-boxes.  But running isn’t for everyone and to some, like my wife, it’s brutal and boring.  But luckily, for those like me, who love the intensity and challenge of running, I came across a fun new way to run the 5k…drum roll, please…The Warrior Dash!

Upon further investigation of said Dash, I learned that The Warrior Dash includes swimming through alligator infested waters, jumping over blazing fires, belly crawling in the mud under barbed wire and general survival of the elements.  And I still wanted to do it. Am I crazy?  Maybe a little!  I realized that it would be difficult, but surviving the whole crazy thing AND crossing the finish line were my goals; enjoying a beer and turkey leg after I finished were my incentives.  What more could a guy ask for?  Camaraderie, a show of strength, beer and crazy costumes – all jam packed into a single day of awesomeness.

Photo Courtesy of www.LisaBrennamanPhotography.com

On the fateful day the Warriors were to Dash, seven of C&P’s finest showed-up, and as usual, were ready to get down to business.  It wasn’t long before it became clear to us how many fierce competitors there were, wave after wave they came.  Superheroes and scantily clad bodies, Elvis and other celebrity look-alikes outnumbered “normally clothed” participants.

Our ears were ringing with the noise of the crowd and a band, veins pumping with adrenaline.  Soon, an alarm sounded and with hot flames roaring around the starting line, we Dashed into bug infested woods and crawled through the muck.  Our knees were scraped, our lungs were burning and we met obstacle after never ending obstacle.  The mosquitoes were the size of small house cats and the only way to avoid them was to become covered in mud.  It wasn’t long until the crowd’s costumed colors of individuality came down to a single solid mass of dirt, blood and sweat, moving as one through the rough terrain.

Alligators rested hungrily on the banks of a two-mile wide river obstacle.  The weak tried to avoid them, the brave fought through them and the few gods of The Warrior Dash strapped one to each foot and rode gallantly atop the gators to the other side where hurricane force winds surged.  It was brutal.  Debris were flying, razor sharp palm leaves hurtled past in blinding speed and all we could do was grit our teeth and power through.

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Brennaman Photography

It seemed like days before we saw the finish line on the horizon, our vision was blurred by the heat and black smoke surged from an upcoming forty foot wall of flame.  Finally, in a glorious exhausted stupor, we crossed the finish line.  Victory!  We are now Warriors!

So maybe part of my story is a little embellished, maybe you can guess which parts – maybe not.  The point I’m trying to share is that the Warrior Spirit knows no bounds, the Warrior Spirit is what makes mole-hills out of mountains.  It’s what keeps us going, it’s what makes us winners and it’s how we jump hurdles and cross finish lines, not only in 5K’s but in also life.

– Jason Brennaman, Architectural Graduate at C&P

America’s Color Voice 2011 – Part II

So what are the current trends for 2011? There is a movement to go back to classical designs, values and customs.  Hand crafts are on the rise; the uses of more texture from natural materials are showing up in designed spaces and fashion.  Keep a look out for more Americana; the good ol’ red white and blue! These colors are going to be seen a lot more because a new nationalism has been on the rise.  In addition to Americana color and style rising, olive greens of the army are also increasing in popularity. The camo concept of the olive greens is a current desire to become a chameleon in our environment.

You will notice a warming of yellows.  Yellow is the undertone influencer of all the natural colors which psychologically stabilizes.  Earth tone, in combination with yellows, helps us feel closer to the earth – to feel sustainable.  Generally, the nation is placing more value on quality rather than quantity.

Digital tones are making an influence as well – bright and bold strong colors that pop in an attempt to get your attention among the grey scale. Similarly, this is how marketing works in the media and internet.

 Blues and light greens are expanding the current color pallet. The consumer may see Brazilian Blue, Twilight Blue or Lucerne blue, but these are a toned down version of what designers are using.  So when you see suggestions cards in the paint department, bump up the intensity to get a professional look.

The family of violets is returning because of their sense of luxury and mystery.  Look for colors like Egg Plant or Fuchsia mixed in with oranges, reds, and vintage wine browns.

Nationally, our temperature gauge is warming. This occurs when people want to rest and find stability, and ironically, this occurs every odd decade.  Think back to the fifties, the seventies, and the nineties. Each decade, including the current one, will create an aggregate of the societal, political, technological, and cultural influences on color.

To have balance and stability in the color world, use the classic neutrals.  Pick your colors to poise the warm and cool tones in steadiness. Let bold pop out in accented places which allows the base to be set with solid neutrals. The current foundational neutrals are of complex off-whites and beiges which have deeper tonal additions than past off whites. Don’t forget about black and white and the grey scale; it is a relevant classic that will continue.

Keep the balance and look at the color in your immediate environment in a refreshed way. Don’t forget your individual influence on the color movement of your region. Each of us is one part of a collective aggregate that makes up our community. We are our local culture, and we are a significant part of our national color voice.

America’s Color Voice 2011 – Part I

Are your dreams in color or grey scale? Mine are crazy colorful, and I am glad for it. Do you dress in bold colors or subtle ones?  I can’t speak for men, but many women use color to communicate each day by what they chose to put on – makeup, clothes, accessories, even hair color.  Even if you choose subtle colors, it is still communicating something.  You could call this your personal color voice. Think of it as those tones and values that speak for your personality, emotion and skin tone.

Our color voice speaks through our purchases for fashion, home and business.  The choices in color, texture, and the combinations of those are one part in a collective aggregate that makes up our community.  Simply put, this is accomplished by the individual’s contribution adding up to the whole. For example, regional culture creates regional color trends and nationally we create an overall national color spectrum each at a particular time. This is not anything new, but I don’t think we look at the individual influences or the many areas our American and global lives inspire how the masses use and apply color.

At a recent event, I heard more about the color spectrum presented by Benjamin Moore (BM) paints. They presented a discussion for the current color trends for 2011. Fran Mooney presented on behalf of BM discussing the color pulse, movements, forecasts, and color selection for 2011.

BM describes the color pulse of 2011 in one word, BALANCE. Their website expands on this as follows

“BALANCE is an attribute that we all strive to live. Sorting the Real from the Surreal defines priorities that drive the direction for 2011, as it gives us a chance to dream of the future. From the rural influences to urban application, BALANCE is supported by 4 themes for 2011: The Farm, Order, Escape, and Tribe.”

The presentation did not go into depth about the four themes.  Rather, we looked at the current conditions of the nation and the effects they have on color choices.

The economic and political environments are influencing how we see ourselves, and our place. We all want economic stability, so people are choosing stable colors to surround themselves with.  Trends are showing that people don’t want sudden change, in spite of the slogan ‘Change we need’ and ‘Change we can believe in’; people want to be comforted that stability will stay until balance is maintained.  This means that color movements will not change very much over the next few years.  Color trends changes will be slight.  If your spaces are in need of an update, now is the time to do it! Get the most bang for your buck by updating your color schemes now which will last for years to come.

–Lisa G., Landscape Designer

Positive Motivation

Sometimes all your staff needs are a few inspirational words from their boss to get them going. The pressure is on everybody in this economy, so you should be ready to step up and lead your company toward success. “One of the keys of leadership is motivating people,” I say – “Sustained performance comes from day-to-day motivation—and that has to come from me.“

As Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Energize Your Employees, says, “For today’s employees, you can’t light a fire under them. You have to light a fire in them.”

–Lonnie

Tags: business, inspiration, keys, leadership, light a fire, motivating employees, motivation, Situational leadership theory

Illuminate Your Peach: Keep Your Customers Drooling!

Imagine a ripe peach, perched on a pedestal in the middle of a spring meadow.  Your eyes scan every inch of an irresistibly velvety complexion, as it glimmers under a Brilliant Ray of Sunshine.  Its unparalleled allure garners your full and intense attention.  The luscious skin offers a warm orange glow which graduates into rich red hues.  You’ve now determined that this peach is the epitome of peach-perfection.  As your eyes further investigate this wonder, you want nothing more than to take a bite.  You long to allow your hand to grasp and your teeth to pierce the fuzzy flesh, releasing the resulting sweet peach nectar which would rush to meet your mouth – tongue – taste buds with a greeting so sweet you would never want it to end.

OK, now, snap out of it!  Sorry to tease you in this way, but it’s my way of explaining the importance of a quality and consistent marketing strategy.

The idea is to make [your self / your business / your product] appear as desirable as the peach I had you drooling over a few seconds ago.  Imagine for a moment, that [your self / your business / your product] IS the peach, you want yours to be illuminated, mesmerizing and juicy looking – the ONLY choice.

The secret to this is in the lighting – remember The Brilliant Ray of Sunshine that shone over the peach? You would not have noticed all of the glorious characteristics of the peach had it been in the shadows or worse – in the dark. Having a strong marketing strategy, (in addition to basic business fundamentals such as excellent customer service, of course) can help you to position your peach [your self / your business / your product] under a bright ray of sunshine, accentuating the scrumptious assets it boasts.  Customers like scrumptious assets.

Let’s recap:

THE PEACH = your self, your business and/or your product.

THE BRILLIANT RAY OF SUNSHINE = your marketing strategy.

I hope this message will help you realize the value and importance of creating a solid marketing strategy in order to illuminate your peach, a.k.a. [your self / your business / your product] because if you’re not in the sunlight, you must be in the dark, right?  And customers are most certainly scared of the dark.

–Karah

Tags: business, customer service, marketing, marketing strategy, Peach, Peaches, success