Category: Schipulites and Culture

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Thirty Days of Thanks – Schipul The Web Marketing Company

Schipul Crew
SchipulCon 2009

I would do myself and this company a disservice if I didn’t take time to thank the people at Schipul.

I believe everything happens for a reason and words cannot describe how much of a lifesaver this company has been in my life since I heard about it at the beginning of this year.

I graduated last year at Famu in this horrible economy and found it hard to find any type of employment as many recent graduates did. I worked a lot of odd jobs that were only temporary and that weren’t enjoyable. Through this tough time I started to get back into freelance web design as a way to keep some type of income and reconnected with Albert Hughes for consulting.

Reaching out to him I found out that he was employed at Schipul and he was more than generous to help me out. From there I researched the company and felt that it would be an awesome place to work. I liked the young energetic attitude the employees had, I liked the training they offered, and who wouldn’t want to work at a company when the first thing you see when you walk in is a Nintendo Wii? I applied for a SEO internship position but didn’t get it, but it turned out to be a blessing, because I know I wasn’t ready and I needed to do more research and practice on my own.

Although my web design skills were not perfect,   I felt like I was more prepared when another internship position came up. It came at a perfect time because plans for grad school weren’t working out, and I was at the end of my rope. Some people might not have Faith that good things follow the bad, but I do. As a result I was in the exact place at the exact time for me to apply and enjoy my current internship on an interactive client team at Schipul as much as I do. Now I’m with a group of people who care and want to teach you. I love our clients and atmosphere and I am fortunate to say that I am at my dream job. Not many people in life have the opportunity to say that.

I’m blessed enough to say that on my first REAL job. So thanks to Schipul for letting me experience this.

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Thirty Days of Thanks – Thank Goodness for Good Design!!

Deconstructing Product DesignWe’re a Web Marketing company so of course one of the thirty things we are thankful for is good design!!

And we’re not just talking web design either… we’re talking about the design of all of your everyday things from the mundane to the magnificent.

To celebrate our love of design, we’ve got a super special giveaway for you this month!!

Our very own Search Engine Marketing Team Manager, Jonti Bolles, is a former professor of Architecture and we can testify that this gal loves her design… so much so that she was tapped to offer her expert design commentary in the recently published Deconstructing Product Design book by Will Lidwell and Gerry Manacsa.

Want a copy? Tell us what product you can’t live without and what about it’s design has made it integral to your life.

For inspiration check out my 5 Favorite Product Designs from the book!!

  1. the Motorola Razr V3: I had one of these babies. And yes I agree… the silver version pictured in the book was a step forward for phones, but the Pink Razr (with duct tape accents) that I personally owned was what I’d consider more of a giant leap. Razrs are risiliant little things and last for years!
  2. Aeron Armchair: I sit in a wannabe one of these (from Eurway) all day at work and I would never switch to a different chair. Commenter Carley H. Franklin calls it the “Rock-Star of the Seating World” and I wholeheartedly agree! Even if my chair is merely the pop-star version.
  3. the Chanel No. 5 Flacon: Ladies across the world will unanimously agree that this famed bottle of perfume is one of the iconic   symbols of all things womanly.
  4. POM Juice Bottle: I love pomegranates so by proxy I love this bottle. The design helps too.
  5. Glock G17 Semi-Automatic Pistol: I’m an Army Gal and so weapons of all shapes and sizes interest me. This one is a little smaller than the ones we used to tote around in basic training but I love that they featured it in a design book!!

And if you MUST have some Internet Inspiration, check out the Sew Crafty Houston Site or Gwen Bell’s Beautiful Blog. Both make me smile every time they pop open in my browser. I blame the monsters.

So one more time. How do you win this awesome book??

  1. Leave a comment below
  2. What product can’t you live without and what do you LOVE about its design
  3. We’ll pick a winner using the random integer generator on November 18
  4. Make sure you include a way for us to contact you when you win!!
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George Foreman – a lean, mean, entrepreneur-ing machine!

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MagsMac gets some one on one time with George Foreman, photo by Ed Schipul

Last week, a group of Schipulites had the pleasure of attending Rice Alliance‘s kick off celebration featuring speaker George Foreman. That’s right, George Foreman – Houston native, two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and the guy with the famous grill (I have two – I am obsessed). We each got a copy of his latest book – “Knockout Entrepreneur,” and got to hear George in his element – telling stories.

He told the story of his life – from his first fight (explaining “They laughed me out of the ring and I said, ‘I’m never doing this again!'”), to his first retirement, to his motivation to get back in the ring again to support the George Foreman youth center in Houston.

George Foreman’s appeal is his personality – he is one of those rare people who can convey both complete confidence in all he has accomplished and somehow still remain humble about the whole situation. I imagine that if it was just the two of us hanging out having a beer, he would tell the exact same stories in exactly the same way. And I love that.

My favorite moment was when George summed up his philosophy on taking advantage of his personal brand to start his various businesses. While most of us don’t have his inspirational story of starting in poverty, rising to be the best in the world at what we do, winning international honors, and having millions of fans… we have our own personality and our own story to tell.

“If you make them love you they will buy it. But you gotta make them love you. The way you make them love you is love them back.” – George Foreman

Thanks George and Rice Alliance for the fantastic program!

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Schipulites with our George Foreman books. Photo by Ed Schipul.

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George Foreman in Rice-adorned apron and chef’s hat. Photo by Ed Schipul.

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Wine Tasting to Benefit the Houston Humane Society!

Houston Humane Society wine tasting with Fayza and QCait

photo by Courtney Pemberton

Last night Schipul and the Houston Humane Society hosted a wine tasting event at Vineyard on the Square in beautiful Sugarland square. It was a great evening for a great cause! Thanks to all who came out to support the Humane Society and the fantastic Lisa Pogue and Natalya Sumner for their hard work putting everything together!

Houston Humane Society volunteers Natalya and Lisa Sugarland Square

photos by Courtney Pemberton

Here are some things we learned about wine from our EXCELLENT sommelier:

  • 90% of wine is NOT meant to be aged – drink white wine within 2-3 years of the date on the bottle and red within 3-5
  • Wine does not like temperature fluctuations – after you open a bottle, keep it in the fridge (even red!) to make it last longer and keep it out of the Houston humidity
  • If storing wine long term, keep it in a dark place where it won’t get moved like under your bed or in your closet
  • Most people start out liking sweet wines (our instructor admitted to drinking nothing but boxed wine 5 years ago) and then graduate to fuller, dry wines. If a wine is too dry for you, try eating it with something acidic (like an apple or smoked gouda) and it will mellow out on your palate.
  • You can only actually taste a few flavors – salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and savory. The rest come from your sense of smell. If you don’t believe it, try eating a strawberry while holding your nose!
  • Drink what you like! As we heard over and over – “it’s your disposable income, spend it on what makes you happy!”

But don’t worry! Even if you missed out this time, there are lots of things you can do to help the Houston Humane Society.

How can I help the HHS?

  1. On Twitter?
    Follow @HoustonHumane on Twitter for the latest updates and tell your friends!
  2. Adopt!
    Check out the Houston Humane Society on YouTube to view videos of the dogs available for adoption!
  3. Already have a furry friend in your family?
    Check out the Houston Humane Society clinic! HHS offers spay/neutering, vaccinations, and microchipping at an affordable price. All of the  proceeds benefit shelter animals.
  4. Shop at Whole Foods!
    On Wednesday, June 24! 5% of sales on that day at any of the Houston Whole Foods locations will go to the Houston Humane Society!

Shop at Whole Foods June 24 to support the Houston Humane Society!

Participating Whole Foods markets:

  • 2955 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77098
  • 4004 Bellaire, Houston, TX 77025
  • 6401 Woodway, Houston, TX 77057
  • 11145 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77042

For more information call 713-341-3311 or e-mail lpogue@houstonhumane.org.

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Schipul Book Club: Win The Giving Tree + a Moleskine of Your Very Own

giving-tree“Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy”

It’s that time again! Every month we give away a copy of one of our favorite Schipul books and since Schipulites LOVE Storytelling, that is this month’s theme!

What better book to Demonstrate “Story” than the Shel Silverstein classic The Giving Tree? Using very simple writing and line drawings, Silverstein proves a little can go a very long way in telling a powerful tale. We’ve got a copy with your name on it.**

Can’t wait? You can also watch an animated version of the book narrated by Silverstein himself!!

We’ve got a double whammy for you this month so that’s not all!!

Long before the netbook became the new notebook, legendary artists such as Van Gogh and Hemingway used the real deal made by French booksellers to capture their ideas and jot notes. These little books were called Moleskine’s. The last French bookseller that sold Moleskine’s closed it’s doors in 1986 but the little books and the genius they inspired was not gone forever!

In 1998 a tiny Milanese bookseller brought the books back and as happykatie so elqouently puts it “happiness is a fresh Moleskine” so we think you need one of your very own! Use it to draw your own pictures and flex those storytelling muscles!! Practice makes perfect right?

So how do you get your Giving Tree and your Moleskine? Comment below!! What organization do you think is awesome at telling its story? It can be anyone from the pizza place down your street to the biggest cell phone company. We want to know!

We’ll be picking winner this Friday (the 29th) at 3 pm so follow us on twitter to get the announcement!

**Oh and a word to the wise: If Hallmark Cards make you cry, you may want to read The Giving Tree behind closed doors. Especially if you’ve never read it before…. I know I’m a cheese ball but I tear up every time!

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Bring Your Dog Out to Shampooch to Benefit the Houston Humane Society…the Smellier the Better!

Fellow Schipulite, Courtney (left), and Houston Humane Society's Public Relations Director Lisa (right) having some play time with spunky Bonita!
Fellow Schipulite, Courtney (right), and Houston Humane Society's Public Relations Director Lisa (left) having some play time with spunky Bonita!

Are you ready….to let the dogs out? Go ahead, give a good bark…you know you want to. We also know that between your busy schedule, American Idol mayhem and tweeting about #medievelmovies that good Ol’ Cranston hasn’t seen a bathtub since the Philadelphia Eagle’s last Super Bowl win. Folks, I’m not sure if you’re aware…but that has been a really, really long time. So what’s a dog with an extreme odor issue to do?
The Houston Humane Society (Schipul client) and Whole Foods Market invite all Houstonians and their furry friends to Shampooch, a benefit dog wash this Saturday (May 23, 2009) from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. The event will take place at ALL Houston area Whole Foods Market locations:

2955 Kirby Drive
4004 Bellaire Blvd.
15900 Southwest Freeway in Sugarland
11145 Westheimer Road
6401 Woodway

How perfect is Shampooch? You can take care of that long-overdue grocery list while Cranston gets a taste of the good life…cleanliness. And not to worry, your beloved is in the hands of the Houston Humane Society staff and volunteers where they will bathe, lather, pamper, and quite possibly treat your pooches to a delightful song and dance number. Alright, the song and dance number is optional…I just thought since ‘Keyboard Cat” was such a hit that, well you know…it’s just a thought. Whole Foods Market will be providing all-natural products used for the washes. All donations will support the HHS’s efforts in promoting humane treatment towards animals. For more information contact Lisa Pogue 713.341.3311 or via e-mail lpogue@houstonhumane.org.

If you would like to adopt the adorable Bonita featured in the picture go to the Houston Humane Society shelter and ask for tag 240.

Houston Humane Society Hours:

Monday – Wednesday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thursday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Friday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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Pragmatic thinking – brain training tips from Andy Hunt

A look at Refactoring your Wetware

View more presentations from Katie Laird.

Every Monday morning, the Schipul crew gets together to discuss the week ahead, the clients we love and to share new knowledge tidbits and training with each other.   This week, our training was based on a great workshop given at ETech 2009 by Andy Hunt – author of Pragmatic Thinking & Learning:   Refactor Your Wetware.

The presentation above is a VERY high level overview of Andy’s 3-hour workshop (you can find the workshop live blogged notes in their entirety on the happykatie Blog) and breaks down into the following:

  1. What is Wetware? A 2-part construct often centered around the brain and CNS being your ‘hardware’ and you neurons and brain activity being your ‘software’.
  2. Invest in your Knowledge Portfolio. What you’ve got in between your ears is really the only thing you can take with you in life and from job to job.   Take the time to invest in yourself and to be on the path towards self-improvement and helping your brain kick butt.
  3. Your brain is pretty cool with Change, you should follow suit. You are what and how you think – your brain actually physically changes and re-wires itself according to your thoughts.   Embrace change.   Aim high, go high.