Are you what your office eats? And is that a good thing…

by Laura Merrill, First Legal Network Account Executive, SoCalPro 2011 Secretary

A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in my office thinking about what great new First Legal product or service to write about for this month’s SoCalPro’s BLOG entry. Let’s be honest, most BLOG Entries, while a great a opportunity to highlight a member’s service, are rarely written in a true ‘blog’ spirit; that is, a conversational topic that sparks further debate, discovery, discussion and general comments…So while I racked my brain on what topic might spark a discussion, at the same time not include religion, politics or your personal Super Bowl picks for who will run the coolest commercial (I’m routing for Budweiser over the GoDaddy girl)…I received the following email notification:

“It’s that time of year to join the First Legal O.C. “Biggest-Loser” Competition”

And there it was, my topic for this month’s Blog Entry…
Every January some of the First Legal Offices (18 and counting in CA, NV and AZ – sorry, shameless plug) hold a collective inter-office New Year’s Resolution challenge modeled after the hit TV show. Instead of pitting individual against individual, or division against division (did I mention we have one of the largest crews of Process Servers, Couriers and Court Filers in the OC area? Plug #2), the program is open to anyone who wants to participate. In fact, this year’s competition was so popular that there is both an ‘open company’ and a ‘guys only’ version of the program.

Program structure is pretty simple: competitors weigh-in with the ‘recorder of weights’ on the start day (Jan. 3), and then as often as they want. At the end of the program the person with the greatest percentage-loss wins. It’s a winner take all event based on a per-competitor-entry-fee and the competition runs through the end of May. I’ll be sure to let you know who wins…

What’s really great about such a program is how it affects the whole office, competitor or not, this program will affect everyone from our highly talented Customer Services Reps to our document prep specialists, court supervisors and drivers (more plugs). How? Well, I don’t know about you, but leading up to the Holiday Break, I can’t tell you how many company ‘pot-lucks’, ‘office parties’ and client-lunches I either participated in or was invited to…someone pass the Tums just thinking back on it…But what is really cool is how this competition is affecting our office lunches and parties:

1. We cleaned out the company fridge (have you looked inside yours lately?)…
2. Instead of holding one of our company sponsored office-lunches, we held our first ever pot-luck-salad bar (see picture).

At this point the collective idea that ‘you are what your office eats’ is both true and potentially life saving. The camaraderie that such a lunch fostered was both healthy and great fun. The ‘buzz’ generated was refreshing and long over due; especially on a Friday afternoon when everyone is already under great pressure. It was so exciting to see what other people liked besides the old fall-backs of pizza, Chinese and Mexican take-out. So, while all of my brave coworkers who are participating in the Biggest Loser Challenge benefited by such an activity, we all shared in the collective idea that we were not only doing something good for ourselves, but also for everyone in the office.

So ask yourself…and while you’re at it, ask some of the people you work with, “Are you what your office eats…and is that a good thing?” And to end on a healthy note: We can sponsor your healthy luncheon for your office as a “Lunch and Learn with First Legal”

Looking forward to the healthy New Year and your blog comments.

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Laura Merrill is the lead Account Executive for First Legal Network, Orange County, the leading Legal Support Service, Investigations and Document Solutions Attorney Service in California, Arizona and Nevada. Laura is also the 2011 Secretary for SoCalPros.