For our May/June issue’s cover story, “Hot List 2008,” we covered 100 of the must-know items for small businesses in America today. Inspired by the topic, we surveyed our company to find out what some of their personal favorite things are! Some are useful inventions, some are tongue-in-cheek, and some aren’t even tangible “things”—but regardless, they’re all what we love and what keep us going every day. Enjoy our light-hearted list, and comment below on what some of your personal favorite things are, too!
“The Beatles, Bob Marley, U2, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and every musician that ever put their heart and soul into the music. It’s only music if it moves you.”—Jim Tracy, president
“A relative bought me the Miracle Blade III knife set for Christmas. The Rock n’ Chop knife has made cooking a breeze.”—Jake Chalkley, art director
“My daughter Faith Aungeli Rankin. She’s smart and sensitive to the feelings of others, with an extremely high emotional IQ.”—French Rankin, regional sales manager
“I love to play with and walk my dog. She makes me laugh and she’s just paw-fect.” —Donna Labanca, office manager
“The intense Sox/Cubs rivalry between co-workers is just plain fun and makes for increased teasing throughout interleague play.”—Kathy Robinson, account administrator
“Matt’s Chocolate Chip Cookies—soft, huge chunks of chocolate and great-tasting.”—Al Lifchultz, advertising director
“The Internet is by far my favorite thing ever. It has not only globally changed the way we communicate and do business, but also playing games against players all over the world 24/7 is a major bonus!”—Tim Scheer, account manager
“My Roomba. I can’t believe how much time I used to spend vacuuming before I got it. I’m thinking about getting a Scooba so I never have to mop again, either.”—Lisa Doyle, managing editor
“Philosophy’s Microdelivery Peel. It’s a two-step exfoliating makeover that rejuvenates, resurfaces and replenishes the skin.”—Melissa Panico, account manager
“digg.com- This website is updated every 10 to 15 minutes and most of the links will blow your mind.”—Vince Barrett, distribution manager
“Oral B Triumph. More than an electric toothbrush; the greatest dental utensil known to mankind.”—Dave Cosper, vice president, marketing
“Office pools. Fantasy Football, college basketball brackets, Superbowl pools, birthdate pools—anything to feed that competitive nature.”—Jorge Cordova, regional sales manager
“Working out, because it makes me feel great!”—Araceli Silva, administrative coordinator
“American history, my son’s and daughter’s sense of humor, garlic and olives, lake settings and documentaries.”—Mark Raffen, regional sales manager
“Pandora free online music. Simply enter in a band or song and get free streaming music that matches the style of what you entered.”—Jordan Strauch, web developer
“My Palm Treo PDA/cell phone. Can’t leave home without it.”—Carmine Salerno, operations manager
“I love spending time with my children. They are truly my rays of sunshine, making each of my days a brighter and better one.”—Barb Zoller, account manager
“My iPod Shuffle. When I’m on the treadmill, I shuffle between Dave Matthews, Kenny Rogers, Kanye West and Garth Brooks, all the way to Metallica.”—Dale Dambek, vice president, sales
“xkcd.com—a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language.”—Ed Hubert, affiliate manager
“My softball glove. I’ve had it since I was a kid. No matter how beat up it gets, I just keep getting it relaced.”—Lynn Celmer, associate editor
“You can call me Bubba, because I love shrimp, no matter how it’s cooked.”—Vinai Shreenivas, regional sales manager
“Listening to my son play guitar and seeing my daughter’s eyes light up anytime the name ‘Jonas Brothers’ is mentioned.”—Jim Kowalski, regional sales manager
“H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction. The father of science fiction-horror and an inspiration and coach to writers of weird tales everywhere. What more can I say?”—Charles Cooper, web editor
“Recording and booking my husband’s band.”—Katrina Camp-Hansen, customer service manager
