June 14th is World Blood Donor Day, which is a particularly important day for us here at Incept.
It’s the day we celebrate and honor blood donors
from around the world who give up a little of their time (and blood) to help someone in need. Most blood donors will never know who their blood eventually helps, but they donate anyway – sometimes several times a year – for no other reason than because they want to do something altruistic to benefit someone else. World Blood Donor Day is for them.
World Blood Donor Day was started on June 14th, 2004, in Johannesburg, South Africa by the World Health Organization (also known as WHO), as a way to encourage voluntary blood donation throughout the world. This holiday really demonstrates the need for donors to regularly give blood to prevent shortages in hospitals and clinics within their community. The need for donors is especially dire in developing countries where the amount of blood donated is scarce. According to the WHO, out of the 80 countries with low blood donation rates (ie: countries where fewer than 10 people out of every thousand donate), 79 are developing nations. By celebrating World Blood Donor Day, we’re able to raise the awareness of just how important being a volunteer blood donor really is.
Some might ask why hospitals and blood centers don’t simply offer to pay individuals for their blood if the need is so great. Admittedly, this is an idea that makes sense, but it’s not without risks. By offering to pay for blood, it raises the likelihood that the blood you received wouldn’t be safe to give to someone else. Studies have shown that blood donated for profit is more likely to come from individuals who have medical conditions that could make it dangerous for another person to receive their blood, or that the “donors” themselves might donate too frequently, putting themselves in harm’s way. By only taking volunteers, blood centers are more likely to have donors who are healthy, making the blood in our hospitals that much safer.
This year, the theme for World Blood Donor Day is “More blood. More life.” This theme really drives home the need for more people to become regular donors. Even here in the U.S., we sometimes have blood shortages. Out of the 38% of people eligible to donate blood, fewer than 10% actually donate on a regular basis. When you consider that about 4.5 million Americans alone will a need blood transfusion every year, the need for blood donations becomes staggeringly obvious.
Donating blood is very important. By spending just one hour to donate a pint of blood, you could be helping up to three people who desperately need it.
From all of us here at Incept, we want to wish you a happy World Blood Donor Day this June 14th!
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There are a lot of unsung heroes in the medical field.
Doctors, nurses and researchers all work tirelessly to help make our lives (and our health) a little 
better. Dr. Charles Drew was one such individual. His work is one of the cornerstones of modern blood transfusions, and he is the father of blood banks as we know them today.
Charles Richard Drew was born June 3, 1904. He was passionate about both education and medicine, and after his graduation from Amherst College in Massachusetts, he spent two years as a biology teacher at Morgan State University in Baltimore. In 1928, Dr. Drew went back to school at McGill University to pursue his interest in medicine. Five years later, he graduated once again, this time with Master of Surgery and Doctor of Medicine degrees. After his internships at both Montreal General Hospital and at the Royal Victoria Hospital, he returned to the U.S. to begin working as a professor of pathology at Howard University.
Dr. Drew’s greatest achievements, though, were those that helped the blood banking industry.
It began as a dissertation on what he called “banked blood.” In his paper, Dr. Drew wrote about a technique he had devised to help store and ship plasma and other blood products. Up until then, blood could only be stored for about two days before the red blood cells decomposed too badly to be used. By putting the collected blood into a centrifuge and separating the plasma from the rest, the blood could be refrigerated and shipped separately to whichever hospital needed it. By storing the blood this way, it could be recombined up to a week later and safely given to the patient.
Dr. Drew was also the first person to realize that while even though blood typing was a must for whole blood transfusions, with plasma, a donor could have a different blood type than that of the plasma they were receiving and still be able to accept it without any negative side effects. Because of his dedication and expertise, He was asked to travel to England to help set up the country’s first blood bank. This couldn’t have happened at a better time.
As World War II began sweeping across Europe, Charles Drew worked tirelessly to help ensure that the soldiers fighting abroad had blood for transfusions. He became the supervisor of the Blood Transfusion Association in New York and was later named a project director for the American Red Cross. His achievements were finally recognized in 1948 when he was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) because of his discoveries of how to better store and ship plasma and whole blood.
Because of Dr. Drew’s dedication and compassion, countless lives have been saved. I believe that it’s safe to say that it’s because of Dr. Drew’s work that we have blood centers and hospitals that are able to collect, store and provide the blood many patients need to recover. He really is one of the unsung heroes of medicine.
Who are some other great medical heroes?
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On Friday, May 6th, Cross International hosted its 4th Annual Hope Gala in Akron, OH. The event was another HUGE success, as more than $230,000 was raised at this year’s event!
For what was this money raised, you ask?
All the proceeds go towards the operation of schools for restavek children in Haiti. These schools provide children with an education, a daily meal (for many, their only meal) and hope for their future. Restavek children (literally meaning “stay with”) are sent away from their families – who are unable to take care of them – to work as servants for their host families. In most cases, these children are treated like slaves.
Incept’s owner Jeff White and his wife (who also happens to be Incept’s Controller), Eun White, chaired the event this year, just as they did last year. The 2010 event raised $217,000, but this year, thanks to the generosity of the Ohio community and a matching gift from The Equitas Group, we were able to beat that number!
In addition to the money raised, many Incept employees volunteered their time to help with this amazing event. From being members on the board to assisting with event setup to helping at the event, our volunteers were a large part of what made the gala so successful!
I am expecting next year’s gala to be even bigger and better… 
I promise, it's not the cookies and other sweets that make for happy employees, it's the people who are handing them out that matters!
No one wants to work somewhere that makes them miserable, and everyone knows that miserable employees can make succeeding very difficult.
Have you ever wondered why some companies just seem to have happier employees than anyone else? It all comes down to company culture. After all, a positive work environment leads to positive results!
If you ask around, a lot of people who work here will tell you that one of the best things about Incept is its company culture. What exactly do we do differently than other companies that makes Incept such a great place to work? It can be summed up into five key differentiators:
1.) Relationships matter. Something I noticed when I first joined the Incept crew was the people. I can’t count the number of people who welcomed me to the floor on my first day and made me feel at home. It didn’t matter if it was someone from the training class before mine or a supervisor who had been here for years, everyone I talked to was friendly and seemed to genuinely care about each other. The longer I’ve been here, the more I’ve seen that warmth firsthand. Having a staff that works well together goes a long way toward making a great company culture.
2.) Communication is key. This might seem like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised how many businesses don’t communicate well in-house. Your employees need to know what’s going on in order to give it their all. Whether you’re ahead of goal or you need them to pull together to meet a last-minute deadline, by keeping the lines of communication open both you and your staff can step it up to solve problems and reach goals. Plus, communication helps build stronger relationships.
3.) Give me a break! No matter how much you might enjoy your job, you’ll end up getting bored if that’s all you think about all day. Offer your employees a chance to unwind a little. By providing breaks throughout the day and comfortable break rooms, you’re giving them a chance to unwind and recharge their batteries. I promise, with just a couple short breaks during a hard day’s work, your employees will be refreshed and ready to do even better.
4.) All work and no play makes for a dull work day. Work is important, but so is play. By organizing company activities either at work or off the clock, you can give your staff a chance to mingle with one another and help alleviate some stress. Maybe you hand out word puzzles on the weekends or set up a great company party once a year! Either way, big or small, these activities will go a long way toward giving your crew something to look forward to and helping them make it through the work day more successfully.
5.) Recognize excellence. In the business world, it’s all too easy to slip into the pattern of only noticing the mistakes. Everyone needs to know that their contribution is valued and appreciated. Accordingly, by commending the achievements of your employees, you let them know that they’re valued highly. An even better idea is giving your staff a way to recognize each other. By making achievements and successes known, you can encourage even more excellence on the floor.
By installing the ideas above, you can start building a company culture that your employees will be proud of. They’ll feel happier about the work they do and the people they work with, and that will help them perform better than ever before!
What other ways can you think of to improve company culture?
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Jeremiah Cerny's mugshot for the "Locked Up For Muscular Dystrophy" fundraiser at Carrabba's.
Everyone holds their own values and beliefs.
At Incept, one of the most important values we believe in is compassion. Compassion isn’t just a company value, but one our employees show on a regular basis. On March 31st, our very own Jeremiah Cerny stepped up to show everyone just how it’s done.
It started out as a challenge. One of Jeremiah’s friends was attending a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), a group dedicated to finding a cure for muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other similar diseases, at Carrabba’s Italian Grill here in Canton, Ohio. Not only did he dare Jeremiah to attend, but he also made the mistake of challenging Jeremiah to see who could raise the most money. Considering he was one of our conversational marketing experts (CME) and now a conversational quality representative, Jeremiah couldn’t let that challenge go unanswered. And so the telethon began.
Carrabba's Italian Grill in Canton, OH.
Attendees were “locked up” at the Carrabba’s and told that if they wanted their freedom, they’d have to “make bail.” It was a battle of wills to see who had the biggest heart and the best phone skills to raise money for the MDA, but Jeremiah – and the MDA, for that matter – emerged victorious. He single-handedly raised more than $300 over the course of the evening and bested his friend. His experience as a blood donor recruiter, as well as his caring and compassionate nature, gave him the edge he needed to reach out to the community and gain their support. All of the money raised was donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
When I asked him about the event, Jeremiah said he enjoyed the chance to put skills he learned here at Incept to the test for a good cause. He also shared that he is already forward to next year’s “lock up,” at which he plans to do even better. Jeremiah also wanted to thank Carrabba’s for hosting the event and supplying delicious food to the event’s participants. Their support really made a difference.
I really want to tip my hat to Jeremiah. He took the time out of his evening off to help others in need. Who would have thought that skills learned at work could have such a positive impact outside of the office? The next time you see Jeremiah, give him a shout-out for his compassion.
What fundraisers for charity have you participated in? Do you have any stories you’d like to share?
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If there’s one charity out there that deserves your time, money and admiration, it’s Habitat for Humanity.
I have so many fond memories of volunteering with Habitat! When I was in college, I helped lay down the foundation of a house in Poland (where I got my shoe stuck in cement). As a teenager, I helped put up walls after a tornado devastated a small town near the college I would eventually attend (where I stepped on a nail). As soon as I was old enough to use a hammer without being a threat to myself or others – around age 12 or so – I climbed up ladders and helped install roofs with Habitat (where I hit my thumb more than once).
And during that period between being old enough to help out but too young to be trusted with tools, my mother and I carried cups of water to the workers and set the table for lunch.
That’s what’s so great about Habitat for Humanity. No matter your age or ability, there’s some way you can help. You can build a house for a friend, family member, stranger or for yourself – a brand new house.
On top of meeting certain income guidelines, families who apply to receive a house – referred to as “partner families” – have to invest “sweat-equity hours.” This means they make up for reduced mortgage payments by working for a certain number of hours on Habitat houses. They help pay their mortgage with their sweat! There’s a great sense of community, mutual compassion, loyalty, teamwork and generosity between the volunteers and the families.
Habitat does more than build homes, however. It hosts a Youth Leadership Conference, recycles cars, sells reduced-priced furniture and appliances at the ReStore shops and helps homeowners with exterior home preservation like painting, landscaping and weatherstripping. Habitat helps needy families all over the world, from the United States and Africa to Europe and Asia.
Enter your zip code on Habitat for Humanity’s webpage to find out about local volunteer opportunities!
Have you ever volunteered with Habitat for Humanity?
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[This post was written by Melissa Kollar, a new Conversational Marketing Expert (CME). Melissa's life was turned around by her experience as a member of the Incept team. She wanted to share her experience with you. So, without further delay, I'd like to introduce Melissa...]
Sometimes Life Throws You A Curve Ball
Sometimes life makes you wonder if everything is going wrong for a reason. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball without any inclination to warn you. Not to make this into a pity party, but that mostly summed up my life right before I began working at Incept.
I was a full-time college student working a full-time, third shift job (plus a part-time job, as well). I had just moved out of my parents’ house and was trying to be a big girl in the real world. I had moved to a new town to be closer to my college, so I had no friends… yet. Not only was money an issue, but finding time to actually sleep was also becoming more and more difficult.
Finding Incept
In the midst of all this, I decided to go to a job fair. Once I got there, the staffing personnel told me all about Incept. I must say, it was love at first sight when I saw the Incept Facebook page. It completely blew my mind that a company was using Facebook and actually posting regularly! The attitudes of the employees floored me, and the work environment (from what I could gather) was so welcoming.
Naturally, when I went in for the interview, my walls were up. However, as soon as I saw the people, I was astonished once again. They not only acted awesome on the internet, they were just as wonderful in person. The first person I met at Incept was Brian, my trainer. He was so much fun to talk with, and so excited about his job, that he got me thrilled to start.
Doing a 180
Since Day 1, I keep meeting new people and making real friends. I have been at Incept for about two months now, and let me tell you I am NEVER leaving. I never thought a job choice could turn things around for me, but my stress level has done a 180. I couldn’t be happier with where I’m at now; I couldn’t be happier that I’m at Incept.
(We’d like to thank Melissa for sharing her story with us. If you’d like to share your story with our readers, please feel free to get in touch with us on our Facebook page.)
This month, it’ll have been one full year since we kicked off our blog here at Incept. In honor of this first anniversary, “Happy Birthday to the Incept Blog!”
On that note, I’ve decided to pick my top-10 Incept Saves blog posts and run them down. Here they are:
- “Blood Donors! Everyday Heroes Saving Lives” ~ January 2010, by Kathie Manchester
- “Why I Think Blood Donors Are Hip 2 Give” ~ September 2010, by Rebecca Crosen
- “Above & Beyond | One Blood Donors Story” ~ July 2010, guest authored by Dawn Lunsford (published under Stephen Smith)
- “So… What is the Power of a Thank You?” ~ November 2010, by Billie Johnson
- “A Sometimes Thankless Job” ~ August 2010, by Billie Johnson
- “A Day In The Life of a Bloodmobile” ~ November 2010, by Stephen Smith
- “The Price Of Life” ~ October 2010, by Rebecca Crosen
- “Blood Donor Recruiters: Talk the Talk & Walk the Walk” ~ June 2010, by Stephen Smith
- “The 40-Gallon Hero” ~ July 2010, guest authored by Dawn Lunsford (published under Stephen Smith)
- “How Sweet It Is! The Sweet Side Of Giving Blood” ~ August 2010, by Brian Dodson
So there they are, folks – my picks for the top-10 Incept Saves posts from our first year of blogging!
Did I miss a post that you liked? Which post(s) would you have picked?
This post was guest-written by Michelle Benefiel, a Conversational Marketing Expert (CME) at Incept, who recently made her first blood donation. The amount of pride and passion she felt about making the commitment to save lives by donating blood touched her so much she wanted to share those feelings with you. What follows is her story…
My First Blood Donation
“Donating blood only takes about 30 minutes of your time, and it is such a great way to support the community!”
That’s what I tell potential blood donors all the time when I have conversations with them, even though I had never donated myself.
That was until “The Blood Vessel” arrived at our office building, and I decided it was time to practice what I had been encouraging others to do so sincerely. When the nurse told me that my iron was at a good level and I was eligible to give a double red cell donation, I must admit I got a little excited. You might say I wasn’t satisfied with just giving whole blood.
Because I gave red cells, I was in the seat a little longer than the rest of my friends. It definitely felt good to be able to give what I could. When I was done getting my plasma and platelets back, I got a bright red bandage around my arm, a juice box and a box of animal crackers.
When I donated blood, I could see and feel that I was helping to save a life.
Working at Incept, during every phone call we tell people to donate blood, so it felt good to step into the donor’s shoes. What better way to show your compassion than by offering up a part of yourself?
In donating blood, you can see it and feel it, and you know that what you have given freely is life-saving. We talk about it all day, but now the message means even more to me. Donating blood saves lives. It’s really that simple.
What emotions did you feel after you gave your first blood donation?
