Hello there! And thanks for visiting this blog. I have actually moved my main blog over to my website at www.gal-fridaypublicity.com- so what you are going to see here is old news. Please visit me over there!

Thanks so much
Rachel

Americans Considering a Twist on the Turkey Tradition

Bettendorf, IA- When American families sit down to give thanks each year it’s usually over a basic turkey that might be roasted or stuffed with a variety of ingredients with accompanying sauces integrated with family additions that are unique, such as bacon rolls, or cranberry sauce, or even a side of chilies. 

Everyone loves it, but at the same time, those cooking the traditional fare are often desperate for a twist on the tradition. The Original Turducken is the twist that will spice up the dinner table this year and consumers everywhere are eagerly anticipating the “wow” factor that will happen when they slice into the popular culinary delight.

A Turducken (turkey, duck, chicken) is a full deboned turkey (except for the drumsticks and wings still attached) filled with chicken, duck and one of their two sausage stuffings- classic Spicy Italian and delicious Chicken Apple. The ultimate meal, it will easily feed 15 people and makes for a delicious family feast. For an even bigger twist they also offer a Premium Turducken Roast.

Echelon Foods (The Original Turducken Inc) has given the Turducken a uniquely American Appeal and is available through Trudeau Distributing in Minnesota at the Lund’s and Byerly’s chain in the Minnisota/St Paul market, and available to retailers and foodservice customers across the U.S.

"If you are tired of the same old turkey landing on your dinner table this fall, then it’s time to try a Turducken. It’s affordable and is guaranteed to elicit some oohs and ahhs when it’s sliced!” says Mike Moser, one of the owners of Echelon Foods (The Original Turducken Inc)

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About the company: http://www.theoriginalturducken.com/

Echelon Foods (The Original Turducken Inc) is a Calgary based, Canadian owned and operated company committed to bringing unique, great tasting high quality consumer foods to the marketplace. Our turduckens are manufactured in Bettendorf, Iowa, with additional capacity in Edmonton and Toronto. They are warehoused in Toronto, ON, Calgary, AB and Bettendorf, IA and available for distribution throughout North America. All our products meet our rigorous standards for delivering a memorable and incredible food experience.

For more information, please contact:

Echelon Foods Customer Service: 403-648-0688 or 1-877-462-3188 or info@echelonfoods.com.For sales and product information on Echelon Foods or our Turducken products, please contact Mike Moser at 403-225-3391 ormikemoser@echelonfoods.com

To book an interview contact: 

Rachel Sentes

Publicist

604-366-7846

rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com

Business Coach Finalist for Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award

Grande Prairie, AB- In today's economy, it is VERY difficult for David to have any shot at all against Goliath. The big companies have name recognition, years of continued loyalty, both from customers and vendors, the kind of size that can demand deep discounts from vendors, teams of lawyers and support staff...the list goes on.

The challenges for small business are enormous but it can be done. In 2009, ActionCOACH Grande Prairie was one man, Peter Lepinski, working from a home office.

Now it is Peter plus 2 new partners, all of whom are very busy. A new second office is in the works and they have just been nominated for Grande Prairie Business of the Year-under 10 employees.

Peter explains his success:

"We make sure each decision is customer focused and centred. And we always follow our 3 Cs of culture: Is it good for the Client, is it good for the Company, does it meet our Core values? We take good businesses and make them better. If a business doesn’t have an HR department or manager we show them how to implement systems and reduce stress by delivering a reliable human resource program for their business. We make sure the sales team is # 1. We make sure the business runs smoothly even when the owner isn't around.

Peter goes on to say "If the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce names us as one of the top businesses of the year, it's because for us, Grande Prairie business comes first, second, and third. Our team is greatly honoured to be chosen as one of the Award Finalist for the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year – Under 10 Employees.  Our business journey had been one of passion for what we do, and who we serve in the business market and in the community. We also want to say thank you to the Chamber, Chamber Members and the business community of Grande Prairie for making this possible. "

Peter and his Business Innovation Group team will be attending the Chamber of Commerce Awards Gala on October 19^th as part of the Small Business week.

For more information about Peter and his team contact Peter at 780-538-4699 or email peter@businnovationgrp.com/ Web: http://www.businnovationgrp.com

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To book an interview contact
Rachel Sentes, Publicist
604-366-7846
rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com

How to Prepare for an Employee’s Leave of Absence

Edmonton, AB- Every business struggles with scheduling staff. It doesn't matter how big or small a business is, when an employee needs to be elsewhere, especially for a long period of time it can throw a wrench into an otherwise productive business.

As the head of several ActionCOACH business coaching regions in Canada, Greg Kopchuk sheds light on some solutions for managers and employers on how to tackle this problem.

“A leave of absence shouldn't affect the company if proper systems have been set up before a crisis occurs. The systems to deal with long term absence can include the following:

• Set up an absence policy that all employees are aware of when they have to give notice and make sure they know what is required and expected from them.
  
  
• Make absence management part of your business plan so that there are no surprises. This may include assigning a specific worker to take over the duties of another worker to make sure that there aren’t any gaps in service. Ideally an employee should be able to replace the person going on leave with 3 days or less of training. 
  
  
• Make sure the out of office emails are set up to go directly to the person that will now be handling the account and that all employees know the information to be given out. 
  
  
• Inform all the vendors or customer that the employee works with ahead of time when possible. If the absence is sudden, those clients should be on a master list so that any employee can step in and take over the work
• Write everything down! A plan for covering an absence is no good in someone’s head. It needs to be written down and communicated to everyone involved. 
  
  
• Make sure to have a strategy in place when the employee returns- convey any work pattern or personnel changes so that they don’t feel out of the loop

 “A company should be system-dependent, not people-dependent. Your staff should be given guidance and your strategies and policies should be part of a business plan. If your company doesn't have one it’s time to set that up! That's where our coaches excel and make a difference to businesses across the country” says Kopchuk who works behind the scenes training coaches as a Master Licensee of  ActionCoach’s Alberta, Peel, York, and Halton regions of Ontario.

For more information on business systems visit: http://www.actioncoachcanada.ca/ or http://www.gregkopchuk.ca/

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To book an interview contact
Rachel Sentes, Publicist
604-366-7846

rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com

The unspoken parental terror: Daylight Saving Time

While there’s much to enjoy about the changing of the seasons, this time of year fills many North American parents with dread. Because on November 4^th, the terror that is ‘daylight savings time’ will again rear its ugly head, wreaking havoc with children’s sleeping patterns the continent-over. Children’s sleep expert Dawn Whittaker, of Cheeky Chops Consulting, has some solid advice for parents nervous about adjusting to the change.

While technically the fall change allows us gain an hour during the time change, the impact on children’s sleep patterns can be no less detrimental. While that first morning lie-in could be bliss for parents (though few children are likely to allow you to profit from the extra hour), evenings are likely to be decidedly less enjoyable. In order to stay ‘on schedule’ children would, ideally, be going to bed an hour later—something that can be difficult.

“No two children are alike. One child might have zero problems dealing with the time changes, while it might turn the world of others upside-down. Whichever category your child falls into, the most important thing is to maintain continuity. Don’t change your bedtime routines—children pick up on those changes and ultimately, it will make the transition far more difficult,” says Whittaker, sleep consultant and CEO of Cheeky Chops. “If you know your child has a particularly difficult time adjusting to time changes, try planning in advance. Make the bedtime change incremental, moving it back 15 minutes at a time over the week.”

Changes to our internal clocks, even seemingly minor ones of an hour, can have a significant impact on mental health. The time change can also affect older children who find it hard to adjust to a new schedule. For parents of older kids, Whittaker reminds parents to be patient. “Just because your children are older, doesn’t mean that they’re instantly able to adjust to the difference. Think about how much of an impact jet lag has on our bodies as adults—this is no different.”

For more tips on children’s sleep health, or for information on sleep consulting, visit http://www.cheekychops.ca/

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To book an interview contact
Rachel Sentes, Publicist
604-366-7846

Rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com

Author seeks to bring element stronger elements of realism to romance novels

Most tales of romance, much like the fairy tales of old, end on a proverbial high note—with a, 'and they lived happily ever after' kind of feel. But what really happens after 'The End'? It's a question that romance author C. Elizabeth thinks goes unanswered far too often. And it's one she seeks to answer with her latest release, Absolute Obstruction.

Elizabeth's latest offering is a follow-up to her debut novel, Absolute Obsession, a story that chronicled the journey of Rose Garabaldi, whose relationship with a British film star also explored the question of what happens when fantasies are manifest into reality. The romance novelist has made a concerted effort with her Absolute series to avoid the pitfalls of the genre where characters are used as props, rather than as an opportunity to develop a relationship with readers.

"I'm not sure why so many romance authors close the door on their characters after just one book. If you have well-developed characters that your readers have really grown to care about, then why just arbitrarily end their story, wrapping it up in a nice little bow," muses Elizabeth. "It's not what happens in real life, and a really good romance novel isn't just about escapism—it's about having readers connect to the parts of themselves they see expressed on the page."

C. Elizabeth's most recent foray is being published by Wings ePress and is available for purchase from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For more information about the author, and the Absolute series, visit www.celizabeth.ca

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To book an interview contact
Rachel Sentes, Publicist
604-366-7846

Rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com