If you live in Southern California, then you’ve probably heard about the Orange County Great Park which is being built on the former El Toro marine base in the Irvine/Lake Forest area. This park is going to be huge at about 2x the size of Central Park in New York.

The OC Great Park is going to be eco-friendly, which we love to hear at EMG. They will be recycling materials from the demolition of the old marine base to build new roads (concrete from runways), bridges (redwood from old hangers) and more. Other green initiatives include recycling water, renewable energy (solar power), habitat restoration and energy efficient transportation options throughout the park.

Phase One has just been announced and is going to be completed sometime in 2011 with many features available in 2010. The best part for us EMGers is that this phase is going to include part of the sports complex which includes soccer fields, as well as a bigger field for general use (football anyone?). Future phases will include tennis courts, baseball fields, skate park, and even a bowling green. This will be a great place to spend our lunches.

I even read an LA Times blog post that said that next year will be Wild River’s last season (for real this time) and that a new water park might open in the great park in 2011.

You can see a picture of the master plan here:
http://wiki.ocregister.com/@api/deki/files/70/=greatparkplanmap.gif

The preview park is currently open where you can take free rides in one of the world’s largest tethered helium balloons. It’s definitely worth a trip if you haven’t been yet.

One of my favorite social media “twitterati”, Amber Naslund (@ambercadabra), recently posted a blog titled “What would you not compromise on”. I think the answer to this question will provide a lot of insight into a person and the type of company they keep (or work for, in this case).

In an effort to keep your attention, I’ve decided to keep the list to 7. That may seem short, but the truth is the more I think about it, the more things come to mind tangentially. 7 has always been a good number for me and limiting myself to 7 will force me to really consider my own compromises. These are in no particular rank order.

1. Trust

   Without trust there is nothing. Not in business and certainly not in life. This was the easiest of the 7 to come up with.

   I trust those I work with to work to the best of their capabilities, tell the truth and I hope that they expect the same from me. I trust that a client has the resources and desire to conduct a project with my company, and they trust me to deliver our consultation based on their desires and budgets. My clients trust me to tell them what is and is not possible within their budget and timeline and if they sign with us they trust me to deliver. That is the only way our relationship work now and that is the only way I can see them working in the future.

   Violation of this trust means that we are done. It shows me that you do not respect me or our relationship enough to be honest about it and that will never fly.

2. Business Integrity

    

   If the company has done it before I will tell you. If I have done it before somewhere else, I will tell you. If this is a new avenue for me, I will tell you and explain why my past experiences will lead to our success. That’s what you can expect from me.

    

3. Family Time

   My son just turned 1 and learned how to climb up on the couch by himself, and how to slide off the couch (feet first please, safely) on his own. There is no equivalent work task, project or client win that will EVER equal watching him smile when he did that. Work is fun and important but I have to keep it in perspective of the things in my life that I love.

4. Loyalty

   Loyalty from me is built after the trust has been established. If I trust you to deliver quality work on a certain time frame and you come through for me, I promise you that will not be the last time we work together. Far too many people take delivery for granted. I am not among them. Work with me and help me to deliver a quality product and you have will help and a reference for life.

5. Flexibility

   I know how I work best, and it is not plowing through 8 hours and going home. I take breaks during the day to mull things over, collaborate and rearchitect. I respond to emails at night and create presentations early in the morning or late in the evening when the office is quiet. I appreciate the ability to take an afternoon off after we have been cranking on delivery or to take a mental health day as needed. These options and flexibility make me a better, more dedicated employee and allow me work under the most optimal conditions for me.

6. Belief in myself

   Our business is constantly in flux. We are in the arena where if you have done something once you are an expert, if you have done it twice you are the guru. I have seen that his can lead to a thought pattern where you have to follow what those who are boasting themselves the loudest have done.

   What we do is not easy, but that is no reason to think that we cannot do something new and do it better than what is out there now. That is what is exciting about our work and makes me want to come in to the office every day. I believe that we can learn from what is out there and challenge the so called experts, using what I know, have researched and experienced.

7. Enjoyment

   We all know that work is work and that some days are better than others. So when I say enjoyment I don’t literally mean every hour of every day, but as an overall trend. If I am not enjoying my work, the space, the people, the challenge, the camaraderie, it might be time to move on. But I have to think of these as a set that I can choose from at different times. I don’t expect to enjoy all at once, but as long as there is something I can derive enjoyment from and look forward to, then I know I’m going to be all right that day.

Being in HR, I hear from so many employees about how much they value communication from their managers and/or from the senior executive level. For many, it is the difference between respect and lack of respect. Everyone wants to know what’s going on, good or bad.

However, interestingly enough, many of the same people who say they value good communication are some of the same people who don’t necessarily exercise it properly.I think maintaining proper communication in the workplace is one of the biggest challenges but it is something that can be overcome. It is important because it helps to gain commitment and ultimately to achieve business goals. Here are some quick tips to help you communicate more effectively.

• Adapt because not everyone may need the same level or type of communication.
• Listen. Know when to stop talking and when to start listening.
• Facilitate. You not only have to listen to what is being said, you also need to learn how to address the topic and then move it on to the next topic of concern or agenda item.
• Ask. You have to be able to ask good questions to get good information.
• Be discrete. Some information may not need to be shared.
• Be clear. If you’re a manager and you have to tell someone to do something, make sure they know exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.

There are several features that contribute to EMG’s most favorable professional environment: beautiful business/pleasure balance, casual dress, cool-and-oddly-cozy-hundred-year-old-lima-bean-factory location, healthy snacks of plenty, monthly team building events, etc. But the defining aspect of EMG’s refreshing and charming atmosphere is the team and its diversity. Team EMG is made up of 31 very unique individuals from an array of diverse backgrounds. In our creative environment, individuality, originality and even eccentricity are not only permitted, but fully encouraged. As a marketing agency that prides itself in being innovative and cutting-edge, we’re well aware that molds and boundaries need their limitations. Within weeks of working here, every employee quickly finds that they are at liberty to truly be themselves, 100%. And in the presence of such openness to diversity, we all learn how to communicate with, understand and genuinely appreciate one another - which, in many ways, has very much made us (oh dear Lord, I’m going to say it) a family.

Mid April brought us the paragon event in which EMG’s rich diversity is both highlighted and celebrated - our annual Earth Day International Potluck. On top of promoting the implementation of everyday green initiatives (bringing in plants for the work area and reusable dishes in lieu of paper products), each team member brought in a homemade dish that reflected their cultural background. During the course of a 2 hour lunch break smack in the middle of our work day, we got to know one another a little better through great conversation and the enjoyment of a variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts that gave us a more personal perspective of our colleagues. Read the rest of this entry »

Hello everyone, my name is Jayson, and I am one of the newest additions here on the EMG team.  I am extremely honored and excited to have joined this team to work with some of the most creative minds that I’ve ever met.  The thing that excites me most about working at EMG is that we are a full service agency that focuses on technology, and anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE technology.

In my role here at EMG, I will oversee Entertainment marketing as well as offer consultative support for developing high-impact social media campaigns, because after all, based on my background, I would consider myself an expert in these fields as well as all aspects of social networking from products, widgets, UGC, but most importantly, marketing for social media (now known as “New Marketing”). Why do I consider myself an expert you ask? Well, I used to work at one of the largest social networking companies out there, and I have been intimately involved with the many facets of Entertainment marketing and social media on a daily basis. I am exposed to everything from advertising and media campaigns, marketing and promotional campaigns, new products and technology, social media strategies, widgets, and elaborate UGC contests.

The purpose of this blog is so that I can highlight all things cool in Entertainment and Social Media, while providing insight into best practices for marketing on social networking platforms, as well as provide tips for advertisers and brands on media allocation, products, and all things UGC.  In addition, I’m sure you’ll be catching me blogging about the newest and greatest technologies out there.

Let me set one thing straight, though…I absolutely will not be leaking any sensitive company strategies, unreleased products, or any other privileged information that would jeopardize my company’s or our client’s strategies in the marketplace, but if you stick around and read some of the topics here that I’ll be covering, you may gain some valuable knowledge and insight on social media that could result in new ideas, successful advertising strategies, or even to learn exactly how a certain product or technology works.

Best,

Jayson

“On Thursday, October 2, 2008, Earthbound Media Group was honored as the 3rd fastest growing private company in the Orange County area by the Orange County Business Journal. The awards ceremony took place at the Hyatt Regency Irvine and brought together technology consultant firms, software companies and many other businesses throughout Orange County. EMG partners Blaine Behringer, Damien Navarro and Lawrence Williford were all in attendance alongside company executives and staff to accept the award.”

I’ve had the pleasure of working here at EMG for over five years now and I have experienced first hand the growth of the company. It is amazing to think of where we started from and where we are now, but it’s not surprising. The vision and talent combined with a unique company culture makes EMG stand out and succeed.

I can’t wait to see where the next five years takes us. Congrats team!

I met a lot of interesting people at Mixergy and had some great conversations. I couldn’t believe how many people turned out for the first event like this in Orange County. Mixergy was also the first event that we’ve thrown here at our headquarters since I started and it was great to hear how cool people thought our office was and to see how many people we can fit in this space. I can’t wait for the next big event here.

Big thanks to Andrew from Mixergy, the Tia Juana’s staff, and the EMG team for making this so successful.

On October 18^th Earthbound Media Group sponsored 4, 5 person teams made up of EMG employees, friends and family to compete in the Armed Services YMCA Mud Run in Camp Pendleton, CA. The Mud Run is a challenging 10K run with hills, tire obstacles, low sand crawl, river crossings, two 5-foot walls with mud on both sides, tunnel crawl, slippery hill climb, and the final 30-foot mud pit. EMG teams raced under the corporate team category alongside 364 other teams both competitively and for fun. With a time of 1 hour and 10 minutes, the EMG Bravo team of Damien Navarro, Christine Navarro, David Navarro, John Maas and Anthony Cerche received first place medals. The true reward for most however, was the thought of a nap and warm shower waiting for them at home.

The team got a much needed break from the daily grind to go offsite and attend the first annual EMG summer retreat held in the clubhouse of our very own Amanda Vande Brake’s apartment complex. The day was a good mix between work and play with presentations about what we’ve accomplished so far in 2008, where were headed moving into 2009 and the always popular anonymous Q and A session mixed in with team building games, food and drinks and a special guest appearance from our favorite Texan, Archana. Also making a special appearance was Mr. Business Casual himself Robert Gonzalez reporting for his first day on the job. As a reward for our hard work, and thanks to some speedy presentations, the retreat ended ahead of schedule and the EMG team got to head home a few hours early.

The EMG team had a un-BEE-lievable visit from a large cluster of bees who decided to make their home, over the course of a night, above the front entrance to the Irvine office. Rather than exterminating the swarm, EMG called in a team of pros to collect the hive and relocate them to a safer place. By the end of the day no injuries were reported and everyone had a great time reminiscing about the funny but extremely random bee invasion.