So many changes

Work has been great...I'm ecstatic about winning our PCE trip and enjoying all that comes with that. Last week our company decided to make a few changes...so now I have a new manager and a bigger territory...Augusta, GA has been added to my territory that already included St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Lake City, Brunswick and Savannah. I am excited to have a few (7) more accounts to tackle in Augusta, but not looking forward to the distance...Augusta is about 5.5 hours from my house. :( I'm hoping to make friends with people who have Masters tickets (a 2013 goal) and work out a productive travel schedule...hopefully flying up there. We'll see how it all goes. For now, I feel blessed to have a great job and to work with great people. Bring on Augusta!

Part of gaining Augusta meant losing a few of my favorite accounts. These accounts will now be serviced by my counterpart in Georgia. I made great friendships in these accounts. I am going to truly miss the amazing people I met and befriended. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon! That is probably the hardest part of my job...making great relationships and then having some aspect of my job changing...product, territory, focus, etc. Luckily there is always Facebook to keep us connected!

In other news, Grant and I had a great St. Patrick's Day with our friends. It started off with a BodyFlow yoga class with a couple of my friends. I'm typically not the group fitness girl...or yoga girl, but I found the class challenging, yet relaxing. I'll definitely give classes a little more love.

Sorry about the lack of photos for this post...I didn't bring my camera out this week. I'll try and do better next week! :)

My New Vanities!

We've redone almost everything in our house since we moved in a few years ago. The project that we/Grant has been working on for the past few weekends is installing new vanities in our bathroom. Our old vanities were builder-grade kitchen cabinets. They were very low, and over 20 years old, original to the house. We waited to put in new vanities until I found new ones that we both really liked. Here are the before and after photos.

Before:

During:
Grant first had to rip out the old vanities...one at a time so we still would have one sink to use. Sharing one sink for the past few weeks has made me appreciate our double sinks that much more!

Then, Grant fixed the wall behind the vanity, primed and painted it. He patched the tile floors and then installed the new vanities.

After:

Do you see Reagan making an appearance? :)

Penelope hanging out inside the vanity. :)

Thanks for all of your hard work, Grant. I LOVE our updated vanities so much and love you even more! :) Now can you fix the garbage disposal?! ;)

Call me asap

When you get a text message that says "Call me asap" it sends your heart racing...especially if that text message is from your boss. Well, that is the text message I received on Wednesday morning. I thought for a second what does he want...is it good? is it bad? Then, I called him.

My boss answered and we exchanged pleasantries. Then, I asked him, "So, what's up?" He replied, "How much vacation time does Grant get?" I knew then that this was a good "Call me asap" moment. I said, "Enough to go on a Mediterranean cruise?" Then my manager replied, "Good, because you won President's Circle of Excellence for 2011."

For those of you not in the pharmaceutical sales world...which is most of you...each company that I have worked for has had an incentive trip called President's Council or President's Circle of Excellence (PCE). These trips are earned by finishing the year in the top 3-5% of all sales reps. Last year I knew I was in the hunt.

I came to this company a little over one year ago to launch their new antipsychotic. My sole goal the first year was to win PCE. We created business plans and wrote down our goals. I wrote down that my goal was to win PCE. One of my colleagues wrote down that her goal was to make quota. I asked her why not strive to be the best? She was concerned that if she did not make that goal she would get in trouble or get evaluated against not making her goal. I've learned over the years to always set high goals and this experience solidified that learning. Long term I want to advance my career into management and beyond and I knew that winning PCE during the launch year of this new drug would establish myself as a leader at my new company.

I tracked my progress versus my peers all year. I had consistent top performance, but also had a very high quota and knew that as I continued to finish above quota my quota would only go up, and make it more difficult for me to win PCE. It came down to the last week of 2011. I remember striving to make each day and each call count last year. I would be driving home, and detouring to make that extra call, hoping that it would bring me that much closer to winning PCE. I had many superstitions during this time as well. Once I saw that I could really win I began wearing a bracelet from my Aunt Dorothy each day. My company sent out a postcard encouraging us all to strive for PCE. I put that postcard in my car and looked at it daily. I saved inspirational fortunes from fortune cookies. One in particular stated that my consistency will lead to reward.

When the final numbers came in I thought I had lost by 1.02% or about 109 pills...the narrowest of margins. I had accepted defeat, but in the back of my mind I hadn't totally given up hope as my company hadn't published the winners.

After that call with my manager, I called Grant. He answered while at work. I asked him if he had anything going on at work in the end of April. He said no. I said that's good because ... WE'RE GOING TO EUROPE!!!!!! I think I screamed it. I was so excited...and still in shock.

Later that day I called my manager again and left him a voicemail. "Hi, I think we talked earlier...that or I had this crazy dream...in any case please call me back and let me know if we did, in fact, talk. If that is the case, I have a few questions." He texted me back..."Becky, I got your message...we didn't talk...not sure what you are talking about." HaHa funny...he was kidding.

I still didn't share my news with many that day. I couldn't believe it was true until I saw my name in writing as a PCE winner. Yesterday I received the confirmation I needed. I got an email...well several...with the official invitation, a list of winners (me included) and a request for bio information. It's really happening. I am so excited.

On top of the recognition of a job well done at my company, PCE is a trip...a luxury Mediterranean cruise...for me and a guest. There are so many people I wish could come. I wish I could fill the boat with friends and family...but I can only bring one person...so, of course, I picked Grant. :)

Here is our itinerary...

Fri. Barcelona, Spain 5:00pm

Sat. Marseille (Provence), France 8:00am 8:00pm

Sun. Monte Carlo, Monaco 8:00am 8:00pm

Mon. Portovenere, Italy 8:00am 8:00pm

Tue. Livorno (Florence), Italy 6:00am 6:00pm

Wed. Sorrento, Italy 2:00pm Overnight

Thurs. Sorrento, Italy Overnight 6:00pm

Fri. Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy 7:00am
 
Here is the boat...the Seabourn Sojourn:

Valentine's Day 2012

Grant and I are not big into Valentine's Day, but I am still a woman...so I want to feel special. This year Grant got me beautiful tulips and a very thoughtful card. He put them out on the table before I got up. It made me smile. He also picked up food from one of my favorite restaurants for dinner along with some really good caramel/chocolate covered apples.

I feel like it is so much easier to buy things for girls...maybe that is because I am a girl, but still. I was at a loss as to what to get Grant. I got him a card, that part was easy...but I didn't know what else to do. I started thinking about what Grant really likes...me...Penelope & Reagan...Las Vegas... Then, I had an epiphany! Pizza! So I ordered him a heart shaped pizza from Papa Johns to be delivered to him at work. I thought he might be a little embarrassed, but that he'd love it! I got his favorite toppings, pepperoni and black olives.

I had to come up with some way to get him to stay in the office to accept the delivery of his pizza...so I told him that maybe we could meet for lunch, but a little late because I had a conference call for work...he bought it. Yay!

Then I got a strange text that just said ,"ok thanks." I said, "thanks for what." He said, "got the pizza." He then shared that the pizza was over-cooked, thin crust when he likes thick, and overall not good. I was shocked! I had never met a pizza that my husband didn't like! He also told me he was looking forward to going to lunch with me, and now he had to eat alone...so lesson learned...girls, don't send a heart-shaped pizza to your husband at work for Valentine's Day! ...I guess it is back to the drawing board for V-Day 2013!

East Coast Adventure

Two weekends ago I traveled to New York City to visit my good friend Danielle. I was able to get a great deal on my direct flight at just $81 each way...probably because not many people fly from Florida to NYC in January! In the weeks leading up to my trip I continuously checked the weather forecast. At first it didn't look too bad...high 40s and low 50s. However, each week the forecast got colder and colder. I had to search through all of my belongings to find appropriate clothing for weather in the low 30s and SNOW! I went to Target and bought some rain boots and liners figuring that I'd definitely need some sort of waterproof shoes if I were to venture out at all during the day. Luckily the boots were on clearance at Target for just $9! What a deal! And they were super cute...black with multi-colored polka dots. The day I was to leave I searched the house for my gloves and hat...I had just used them when we went to Park City in December, but now they were nowhere to be found. I went to a shopping expedition to find gloves and a hat in Florida when it was 70+ degrees out. All I found was a pair of red gloves once again on clearance at Target. 

I flew up to New York on Friday night and was looking forward to seeing Danielle, her new place and meeting her boyfriend. Upon arrival in NYC I grabbed a taxi and rode from JFK to the Upper East Side. I was so excited to see Danielle waiting outside when I got out of the cab. It was cold, but not too bad. We went to dinner and spent the night catching up. 

The next morning we got up early and saw that it was snowing outside!! We drank a cup of coffee, went to a local bagel shop for breakfast and headed straight for Central Park. It was so beautiful. There were dogs playing, kids sledding and crazy people running the Manhattan Half Marathon! We walked around until we couldn't feel our toes any more. 

After spending time in the Park we ventured to La Duree, home of amazing macarons from France. Grant and I got these same macarons when we were in Paris last September. Yum! After that pit stop we took the subway to another part of the city...Union Square I believe...to shop. We got some warm apple cider at the farmers' market and enjoyed shopping the afternoon away. Amidst our shopping we stopped for the heaviest, yet very tasty, lunch at ABC Kitchen. I think Danielle and I both were full for the rest of the weekend after that lunch!

That night I got to meet Danielle's boyfriend Bill. We went to dinner at Buddakan and out afterwards for drinks. It was a fun night in the meat packing district...I am still wondering if they actually pack meat in that area...but nonetheless it was a fun place to go out. 

On Sunday we slept in, relaxed and then grabbed lunch at Penelope's. I was excited to go to my dog's restaurant in NYC. I only wish Penelope could have joined us. :) After breakfast we went to a bar to watch the NFL playoff games. It was a fun day that ended with a good dinner at the Japanese restaurant just below Danielle's apartment. 

On Monday I headed to DC for a work meeting. It was nice to see my coworkers and we stayed at a fabulous resort...the Gaylord National Resort. I was so proud of myself for getting in two workouts at the meeting. We are usually so busy that I bring my workout clothes with the best of intentions, but never take them out of my suitcase. I found out at my meeting that I missed winning our incentive trip by about 109 pills...which is nothing and equated to about 1.02% separating me from the guy who beat me. The trip would have been an amazing week-long Mediterranean cruise on the Seabourn Sojourner. It was quite a disappointment after having such a great year last year. Oh well...I suppose it was not meant to be.

I got back home last Wednesday night. I was so excited to see Grant and the girls. Grant surprised me by making reservations at Ruth's Chris for a celebratory dinner on Friday night. I felt so special and loved. 

It's been a while

It has been a crazy and amazing year for BGPR. I have been working harder than I ever have before at my job and have enjoyed a wonderful year from that perspective. However, it has taken time away from things, like my blog. Now that I have 13 months under my belt at my not-so-new-anymore job I plan on having more balance in my life in 2012. Part of that balance will be blogging more regularly. After I stopped posting several people asked me to get back into it...it was refreshing to know that people actually read this and enjoy keeping up with us throughout the year.

Here is a quick run down of what we did 2011...since I last posted from San Francisco...






Travel: Grant and I traveled...as we usually do. This year we enjoyed trips to ...
*San Francisco (Becky) for work and to visit our friends Laurie & Joe

*Chicago...twice...for Jordan's bridal shower and bachelorette party and for the 4th of July

*Punta Cana, DR for Jordan and Ryan's wedding

*Springfield, IL for the 4th of July

*France and Italy for 16 days of fabulosity

*New Orleans (Becky) for Jenny's bachelorette party

*Park City, UT to ski and visit Natalie, Ryan, Ella and baby Luke

*Las Vegas -- Grant's favorite place on Earth

It was all completely amazing. We LOVED our trip to Europe. It was the first time we had both been off work for that long and spent that long together. The food, wine and architecture were all breathtaking. We cannot wait to go back!! There is so much to see and experience. 

Penelope turned 4 this year and Reagan turned 2. Our little girls are becoming very well-behaved and we absolutely adore them. They add so much to our lives.

Work: Grant is enjoying his job and staying very busy. We feel blessed that he works for a very stable company and with some great people. I am loving my job. I transitioned from a retail to an institutional position in May, which dramatically increased my territory size, but has proven to be a great fit for me. I enjoy my customers and what I do each day.

Family: We had family come to visit in March, October and for Thanksgiving. I love having family come and visit. The hardest thing about moving to Florida in 1998 was leaving our fmaily and close friends. We even had two of my cousins stay with us during Thanksgiving! It was fun to host a couple of guests for a few nights. Penelope and Reagan enjoyed the extra pets and attention!

My mom turned 60 this year and we pulled off a great surprise. We were able to plan a birthdya dinner where my Aunt Linda, Uncle Dave, Aunt Linda, Uncle Mike and Uncle John all came down from Illinois to celebrate and surprise my mom. Unfortunately, my Uncle Jim and Aunt Sandy couldn't make it, but they were there in spirit! We took my mom on a private sail boat ride in St. Augustine and enjoyed the company of her family for a long weekend.

Mike graduated from UNF in May with a double major. He was named the UNF Finance Student of the Year. He will be missed at UNF, but has found a good job in Jacksonville, which made my mom super happy to still have him in town. Now if only Nick could move back home from Atlanta... ;)

Nick is living in Atlanta and working for Sports Illustrated. He works crazy hours, but does a great job and is well-respected by his peers (and siblings!). I have yet to visit him in Atlanta since his move, but will get this this year!

We went to Orlando to help Zack move into his first off-campus apartment at UCF. I enjoyed getting a tour of campus and being mistaken for a college student several times! :) Next Fall it is Tess's turn...I cannot believe she will be graduating high school in the Spring and going off to college in the Fall!!!

Grant and I each turned 29 this year...which means that we need to make the most of our last year in our 20s. It is hard to believe that we'll be 30 next year!! I still remember taking Grant out to dinner at Fridays for his 21st birthday!

Friends: My best friend got married this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful beach. We were honored to be a part of their special day and loved seeing our friends marry each other!

My college roommate and great friend, Erin, gave birth to the cutest baby girl in April, Olivia. She is always smiling and is a joy to be around. She has already grown so much!!!

Another college friend, Mandy, had her second girl just a couple of short months ago. Mallorie is adorable! I was thrilled to meet her last week at our Jennings Hall reunion! At our reunion I was able to meet several little ones for the first time including...Mallorie, Grace (Kayla and Evan's daughter) and Oliver ... or Ox ... (Danielle and Tommy's baby son). Jennings Hall sure did make some adorable kids!

We went to visit Natalie and Ryan in Utah and met their newest addition as well. Luke is cute as ever and his big sister Ella now talks up a storm! It was so nice seeing them before we headed to Park City to hit to slopes. This time we had no injuries...last time we went skiing Grant skiied into me and separated his shoulder! Ouch!

We are looking forward to 2012. So far we have a wedding and a lot of BIG birthdays.