It was our first birthday celebration here at G|J World Headquarters! We all enjoyed celebrating in the new conference room with enough space for everyone.
With an assortment of sushi, rice and miso soup, everyone was having a great time laughing and talking about what’s going on in our world today. And when the music system started bumping Avicii Levels, we couldn’t help but sing and dance along. It truly was a party in here!
Katie, Kevin and Jen were excited to share their birthday month together! And, as you can see they love having fun together too.
Happy birthday January friends. We all hope you have a great year!
Next Wednesday, June 27, at 3:00pm, the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) in San Francisco will be hosting its Consumer Insights Forum and introducing a new program called “Think Forward or Get Left Behind.”
Our own Jennifer Fidelman is on the panel of experts discussing the use of social media and digital technology as a key way to increase sales and traffic. With so many new uses in social media marketing, this program will be helpful to all!
This year at PCBC, you can expect a mix of engaging presentations on a variety of topics that will benefit homebuilders as everyone is recovering from the economic struggle and continuing to advance their business in the digital age! It’s time to jump on this fast moving train, because technology and social media are not slowing down.
To read more about the Consumer Insights Forum: “Think Forward or Get Left Behind,” click here.
For more information on the “Think Forward or Get Left Behind” panel contact Rachel Mullins at Gunn | Jerkens at (562) 499-6707 or for media interviews on-site at PCBC related to this panel, contact jfidelman@gunnjerkens.com.
Sweat, wind, sun, water, Powerade, spandex and desire are all you need to know that you are racing an Ironman.
Jen Fidelman joined 36 of her teammates from IronTeam LA, as they competed in Ironman Hawaii 70.3 in Kona, Hawaii – one of the most spectacularly beautiful Ironman courses of all time.
Dressed in purple, Jen and her teammates raced 70.3 miles for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The team collectively raised over $330,000 to support this organization and they worked hard to finish this 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run.
Beginning at Hapuna Beach at 7am with a cannon blast and 74 degree water, the first 1.2 mile leg of this race was a wetsuit-free swim. Racers plunged into the water with black numbers on their arms, blood-pumping through their bodies and hopefully enough fuel to keep them going.
The ocean was rough with whitecaps and buoys that wouldn’t stay put, adding .6 miles or more to this leg of the race. But the elements didn’t stop anyone from fighting to finish!
Then came the 56 mile bike ride. Not only is this one of the most difficult courses, complete with a section called “Hell’s Kitchen,” but this year, participants were surprised by some of the toughest conditions that the Ironman has ever seen due to the elements. The winds were so strong that it became a smart move to watch the person in front of you on the bikes to anticipate the next huge gust of wind coming.
A 13.1 mile run through a mixture of dirt, gravel, pavement and a swampy golf course was the last leg of the race. Again, the wind was an issue making it feel like you were running in place at times.
Lance Armstrong was the first to finish flashing a shaka to the spectators at and he just happened to set a course record on one of the most challenging days. Livestrong!
After a long and exhausting day, Jen was happy she succeeded in completing the race. Those hours and hours of training over a 7 month period, along with the tremendous support from her Team in Training coaches, mentors and teammates helped Jen reach her goal of completing her first Half Ironman with a smile.
What’s next? Ironman 70.3 Vineman in Sonoma on July 15th – stay tuned!
Check out the race in action!
See what athletes had to say about the course and the weather before the race!
She is definitely a winner in Gunn | Jerkens’ heart!
Jennifer Fidelman is leaving for a few days to run in The 5th Annual Nation’s Triathlon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She’s been training for a while now, even denying herself some of the yummy treats we have during our office lunches for the past few months. I thought it would be nice tell her story before she leaves for Washington D.C. to join 6,000+ other athletes for the big race.
Jennifer has been training for The Nation’s Triathlon for about five months. Her workout schedule is intense: she’s training six days a week which includes a coached swim every Wednesday and an ocean swim every Saturday. Saturdays are also when she does her “brick” workouts where she trains for two disciplines back-to-back. She’s been training so hard that she’s the Mayor of her gym on Foursquare and she has the Swimmies badge!
Of course I had to know about her diet! She’s started hydrating for the race already to help prepare. Her food schedule for the next few days looks like this:
Day before: Lots of carbs, including the “Inspiration Dinner” with lots of pasta
Day of the race: Her coach’s mantra is “Nothing new on race day” so that isn’t going to be a day where she’s trying new food. She’s going to go with some peanut butter and bread and maybe a hard-boiled egg in the morning and then some energy bars for during the race. (She is the energy bar queen; she was rattling off names of bars I’ve never heard of!)
Post-race: Party time where she can celebrate with her team by pigging out and dancing!
Most importantly, using e-mails and Facebook (even Facebook ads!) to reach out to her network of friends, Jennifer successfully raised $3,000 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; since she started training for races five years ago, she’s raised over $20,000 for the organization.
To read more about Jennifer’s motivation, or to continue donating to support her training and the cause, you can visit her fundraising page through Team in Training.
Join us in wishing Jennifer (and her entire team) luck with her race in D.C. this weekend!
Gunn/Jerkens Marketing Communications is based out of Long Beach, Ca. Stop in frequently to see what’s happening, share your stories, questions and perspective.
