Boston Brick & Stone - June 2019

Boston Brick & Stone - June 2019

THE MASONRY MONTHLY

2005 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103 | 626-296-7700 | www.bostonbrick.com | June 2019

THANKS FOR JOINING THE SUMMER TEAM!

Make Your Seasonal Employees Feel Welcome

h, summer. The sun is shining, days are longer, and college kids are coming home. That last part might not sound as appealing to

they are quickly thrown into the hullabaloo, it’s important to make sure your seasonal employees are well-equipped to handle their duties from day one. Host an orientation day, be clear about employee responsibilities, and teach them about your brand and values. The best part about training seasonal employees the right way the first time is that the employees who want to return the following season will already be up to speed. Include Them If you have an employee shoutout wall or annual camping trip, make your seasonal employees part of the team by including them in the fun side of the company. Additionally, some seasonal employees may thrive in a mentorship system. Set up a mentor and mentee group between your seasonal and permanent employees, or create a special group for them. As long as you prepare them well and make every effort to include them, you will find your seasonal employees thriving in their short tenure.

some, but if you’re searching for great employees to help

with your summer rush, these broke yet suddenly free college kids can give your business the seasonal support it needs. An essential part of hiring effective seasonal workers is to make them feel like they are part of the team. Follow these tips to create your A-team this summer. Be Honest If you don’t plan to keep your seasonal employees after the summer rush slows down this fall, make sure that detail is made clear to your summertime workers. Nothing is more demoralizing to a person than to find out an opportunity they were looking forward to never actually existed. This will only sour your relationships with seasonal workers, and they will let others know about their experiences, making it harder to hire next summer. Train, Train, Train Studies have shown that employees are happier and more productive when they are properly trained, and it’s no different when it comes to your seasonal employees. Because

-Dave Laverdiere

www.bostonbrick.com |

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The 3 Cardinal Rules of Effective Email Communication

Don’t Be ‘That Guy’

The average businessperson reads and composes more than 120 emails every day, but there is an overwhelming amount of business emails that seem to be written with no apparent regard for the reader. A massive chunk of people’s workdays is wasted wading through irrelevant, unclear, or incomprehensible messages. To remedy this issue, it’s vital to understand the keys to effective online communication, both to stem the tide of annoying and unnecessary emails and to protect your reputation as a professional. Here are three rules for effective email communication. 1. TIGHTEN IT UP. When your message is sitting in an inbox packed with dozens of others, it’s essential to respect your reader’s time. Make the contents of the message clear from a glance at the subject line. Your subject line is what will draw the attention of the recipient — or lead them to skip over it altogether — so be specific and relevant. In the body of the email, your reason for emailing, as well as all the important points, should be immediately clear. Keep it as concise and as transparent as possible.

are especially guilty of this, sending out single-sentence messages in all lowercase letters with nary an emotion.

We get it; you’re busy. But it’s worth taking an extra moment of your time to craft an email that carries the human element as well. It’s important to take a professional tone and to keep communication brief, but you can still write, to some degree, like you talk. This will show recipients that you take communicating with them seriously. 3. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, REPLY TO THE EMAILS YOU RECEIVE. Again, you’re busy, and you’ve got to prioritize your work, but consistently ignoring emails is a clear sign of negligence and will make you unpopular among your coworkers. If you don’t have time to think of a clear answer, a simple confirmation that you received the message goes a long way. While you can safely ignore all those companywide filler emails you receive each week, you need to show your coworkers and contacts that you’re willing to put in a little effort and that you’re on top of your responsibilities.

2. WRITE LIKE A HUMAN BEING. Many professionals assume that the need for brevity means they can get away with short, robotic missives. Managers

Rock-Solid Review

CHIMNEY

•Inspection •Restoration and repair •Construction •Sweeping

FIREPLACE

•Inspection, restoration, or repair of an existing structure •Installation or reconstruction of new structures

HARDSCAPE

“Just replaced two chimneys in our home. The best crew ever, led by Anthony Baer. Would not do it without him! Seamless execution, permitting, and clean-up. I sell real estate and have used BB&S for inspections and chimney work but never in my own home. I can honestly recommend them highly to everyone, having experienced their professionalism firsthand. Thank you for making this such a nice experience!” – Ma rcy M.

•Backyard patios •Outdoor kitchens and barbecues •Outdoor steps, walkways, and paths •Retaining walls •Outdoor fireplaces •Driveways

HISTORICAL RESTORATION Our previous restoration work includes the following:

•Restoration of the main lobby chimney system of the El Tovar Hotel on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim •Repair and restoration of chimneys in 56 original historic cabins on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim •Historical chimney restoration for the lodge in Bryce Canyon National Park •Faithful restoration of the chimneys on the Nottingham and Arden properties in Beverly Hills

BRICK RESTORATION AND CONSTRUCTION DRIVEWAY CONSTRUCTION

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Celebrate Nature Photography Day Tips for Capturing the Best Outdoor Photo!

Nature Photography Day is June 15, and it continues to garner enthusiasm with each passing year. It’s been designated by the North America Nature Photography Association as a day to promote the enjoyment of outdoor photography and to explain how nature photography can advance conservation efforts locally and worldwide. Almost everyone has access to a sufficient camera with smartphones, but not everyone knows how to best capture a beautiful nature scene. Here are some tips to help! Landscape photography isn’t about appealing to someone else’s sense of style; it’s about shooting what makes you happy. Take some time to study the work of other nature photographers you enjoy. What angles do they use? What colors do they coordinate within the frame? How close do they get to their subject? Try something different. Go against the grain, use a different angle, shoot a close-up where others would shoot wide angle. Find a good starting place and experiment a little. Find the Angles

contrasts between light and shadow can add depth to your photos. However, front- and back-lighting — where you shoot away from or into the sun — can also produce nice photos. Similar to angles, try experimenting until you find something that looks good to you.

Crop for Texture

Sometimes the difference between an amazing shot and a mediocre one is distance. When photographing nature, try zooming in or moving geographically closer and cropping close on your subject. This could be tree bark, a leaf, the forest floor, or a lizard’s skin. The fine details of your subject can often create stunning images. In your quest to snap the most Instagram-worthy shots, the most important thing to remember is to respect the animals and the environment. Be sure to bring bags with you to take any garbage or other waste with you, and stay on designated trails while exploring. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be taking incredible nature photos in no time.

Harness the Light

Nature photos often look great in the morning or evening light, but the type of lighting you use is often dictated by the scene you are trying to capture. It’s generally accepted that side-lighting, where the sun is coming from either side of the camera, is the most desirable for landscapes because the

MEME CORNER

Is a hot dog a sandwich or not? We’re not here to weigh in on the ever-contentious debate, but when you combine a hot dog with a BLT, it definitely becomes more sandwich-like — and way more delicious. BLT Dogs

Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon • 4 hot dogs (ideally Boar’s Head Beef Frankfurters, but any all-beef variety will do) • 4 hot dog buns

• 1 tbsp mayonnaise • 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded • 1 large tomato, seeded and diced • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat a skillet to medium and fry bacon until rendered and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. 2. Fry hot dogs in bacon drippings, creating a crust and cooking until warmed through. 3. Using a dry skillet or oven, toast buns. 4. Spread mayonnaise on buns, place hot dog and bacon inside, and top with tomatoes and lettuce. Serve.

Inspired by FoodNetwork.com

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2005 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103 | 626-296-7700 | www.bostonbrick.com

Happy Seasonal Employees INSIDE page 1

page 2

The 3 Cardinal Rules of Effective Email Communication

page 2

Rock-Solid Review

page 3

Tips for Capturing the Best Outdoor Photo!

page 3

BLT Dogs

page 4

How to Stay Dry While Camping in the Rain

3 T ricks to K eep Y our G ear D ry Even On a Rainy Outdoor Weekend

Incoming clouds can really rain on a weekend camping trip. Getting wet isn’t just a nuisance; it can be dangerous in cold climates. Outdoor experts, like the instructors at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), know the tricks to keeping dry, even on the wettest days. Here are three tricks these pros swear by. 1. Line Your Pack With a Plastic Bag Garbage bags are an easy and cost-effective way to waterproof your pack. As you’re preparing for your trip, put the garbage bag into your backpack first and place your sleeping bag, clothing, and any other items that must stay dry inside it. Carefully twist and fold the bag inside your pack to close it up, place any items that are okay to get wet on top, and look forward to having dry, warm clothes. 2. Use Your Body Heat to Dry Damp Clothes There’s nothing like getting to camp at the end of a hard hike and taking off your pack to finally relax. But if you got caught in a rainstorm or had to cross a river, you might not feel the same sense of relief. An effective way to dry wet socks and other clothes is to use your own body heat. Once you’ve changed into something dry, place wet socks between your layers of clothing, allowing them to warm and slowly

dry. Insider Tip: While weight is a consideration for backpacking, it’s worth

it to carry an extra pair of socks designated for sleeping so you’ll always have a dry pair to look forward to when you arrive at camp. 3. Suit Up Your Sleeping Bag

Moisture that collects in the night can lead to a damp sleeping bag, and you want to do everything you can to retain heat in wet weather. Get better sleep by using your rain jacket to further insulate your sleeping bag. Put your jacket around the end of your sleeping bag and zip it up, creating a heat trap that will keep your toes toasty. Insider Tip: Keep wet gear out of your tent whenever possible by storing it in the vestibule rather than the main space.

Happy trails, and stay dry out there!

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