5 things you need to know Wednesday

Stars align for Cannes Film Festival

The film world turns its attention to the South of France on Wednesday for the start of the 69thCannes International Film Festival. Films likely to make a splash include Woody Allen's Café Society, set in 1930s Hollywood, starringKristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg; The Last Face, about aid workers in Africa, directed by Sean Penn and starring Javier Bardem and Charlize Theron; and the financial thriller Money Monster, directed by Jodie Foster and starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Here are five reasons why Cannes, which runs through May 22, will dominate discussion in the industry.

Putting the 'hype' in Hyperloop: Another company shows its stuff

Travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30 minutes? Um, yes please. That’s the promise from multiple companies racing to create a hyperloop transportation system. One of those companies, Hyperloop Technologies, plans to reveal Wednesday how its technology has evolved during an event for investors and press in Las Vegas. (A rival company, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, lauded its prototypes Monday.) Hyperloop technology offers the possibility of moving people and things at great speeds without using fossil fuels. The pitfalls include making such transportation reliable while mitigating for potential catastrophes unfolding at around the speed of sound.

Competing teams will be showing off their Hyperloop prototypes in a bid to see who can build the best, most viable system. USA TODAY

The SpaceX Dragon is coming home

SpaceX's unmanned Dragon capsule on Wednesday will become the first spacecraft in a year to return science experiments and hardware from the International Space Station. Its journey is expected to begin after 9 a.m. ET, when a giant robotic arm releases it from the space station. Carrying 3,700 pounds of cargo, including biological samples collected during former astronaut Scott Kelly’s yearlong mission, the capsule will travel almost six hours before plopping down in the Pacific Ocean.

            SpaceX has made good on a high-priority delivery: the world's first inflatable room for astronauts. A SpaceX                        Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, two days after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida. (April 10) AP

Tornadoes, severe storms take aim at parts of U.S.

May is the prime month for severe storms and tornadoes, and more storms are forecast to fire up Wednesday all the way from west-central Texas to southern Iowa and western Illinois. "We expect several tornadoes, flash flooding, large hail and damaging winds across the region during Wednesday afternoon and evening," AccuWeather meteorologist Eddie Walker said. The new threat comes after deadly tornadoes ripped into Oklahoma on Monday, killing two people and damaging dozens of homes.

                    A tornado touched down in Elmore City, Oklahoma on Monday, with forecasters saying a "substantial tornado risk" could develop in portions of the Southern Plains and the Ozarks. (May 9)AP

With Curry back, Warriors look to send Blazers packing

On the heels of a rousing overtime win and the return of superstar Stephen Curry, theGolden State Warriors get a chance Wednesday to finish off the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals. Curry, named unanimous MVP on Tuesday, is hot off Monday's 40-point performance, including a record-setting 17 points in overtime, as the Warriors won 132-125 and took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Curry had missed two weeks with a knee strain before his dramatic return.

Help Give Back

Check out our Charity website Soles 4 Souls and learn how to give back! If anyone would like to donate any old or new pair of shoes, stop by our office for our donation drop box. Any help is great.

Address: 530 Stephenson Hwy
               Troy, MI 48083

Check it out now --> Soles4Souls

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday to our 

Top Performer Retreat in Vegas of September 2015

Modern Marketing is excited for our next destination, so stay tune to see where Modern Marketing is going next for their Top Performer Retreat to thank our executives for the great things they have done for our company!

10 Cool Ways to Embrace Winter

Winter is in full force. As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, even the best of us can get a little down. The "winter blues" are characterized by the mild depression, lack of motivation, and low energy that many people experience during this cold season. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to both prevent the blues from coming on and get yourself back to normal if they’re already here.

1. Exercise
As if we needed another reason to get fit! Exercise isn’t only for maintaining your weight and staying healthy. It’s great for relieving the stresses of life. Plus, the effects of a good workout can last for several hours after you hit the showers. You’ll have more energy throughout the day, and your metabolism with stay elevated too. Exercise also helps your mind by releasing those "feel good chemicals" that improve your mood. 

2. Eat a Healthy Diet
What and when you eat has a great affect on your mood and energy. Avoid refined and processed foods (like white breads, rice, and sugar). These foods are not only devoid of the nutrients your body craves, but they zap your energy levels and can affect your mood—causing depression, lack of concentration, and mood swings. Try to incorporate more complex carbohydrates (whole wheat breads, brown rice, veggies, fruit) and get your daily 8 cups of water. These healthy foods provide your body (and mind) with nutrients, and stabilize your blood sugar and your energy levels. 

3. Get Some Sun
Most people know that sunlight provides us with Vitamin D. But did you know that it also improves your mood? Winter days are shorter and darker than other months, and because of the cold weather, a lot of people spend less and less time outdoors. Lack of sunlight can cause many people to become depressed—without knowing why! Similar to exercise, sunlight exposure releases neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mood. Try to spend a little more time outdoors.  Keep your shades up during the day to let more light in. Sit near windows in restaurants and during class. Try changing the light bulbs in your house to "full spectrum" bulbs. These mimic natural light and actually have the same affects on your mind as the real thing. 

4. Act on your Resolutions
A recent study from the CDC showed a strong link between healthy behaviors and depression. Women who exhibited healthy behaviors (like exercising, not smoking, etc.) had less sad and depressed days than those whose behaviors were less than healthy. Although researchers studied women, the results are likely similar in men. 
5. Avoid Binge Drinking
Staying in with a cold beer or a nice glass of wine may seem like the only thing to do in the winter months, and many people who feel down also tend to turn to alcohol when they’re feeling down. But alcohol is actually a depressant, and rather than improving your mood, it only makes it worse. Avoiding alcohol when you are already depressed is a good idea. Moderate drinking is fine for most people, but binge drinking (defined as having 5 or more drinks in one sitting) is never a healthy choice. The morning after will have you feeling sick, depressed, and even more tired, which will affect many aspects of your life. This will make your low energy and bad mood even worse. 

6. Treat Yourself
Having something to look forward to can keep anyone motivated. Winter seems endless! But if you plan somethingexciting, your mood improves when you’re anticipating it and when the event actually comes. Plan something that’s exciting to you—a weekend trip, a day at the spa, a party (but keep #5 above in mind), or special event like a play, girls (or guys) night out, or sporting event. 

7. Relax!
You’re busy! Work, class, family, friends, appointments, meetings—even if you enjoy being busy, everyone needs some time off. Don’t be afraid to say "No" to extra opportunities (covering a shift for a co-worker, bringing food to your son’s class party). Try to spend a few minutes each day doing nothing! Read a book or magazine, sleep in on the weekend, go to bed early, try some meditations, or take a yoga class. Relaxation, especially in the form of yoga, can alleviate stress and leave you with a calm energy. Mental exercises like meditation and positive thinking can help keep depression at bay. 

8. Embrace the Season
Instead of always avoiding the cold and the snow—look for the best that it has to offer! Take up a winter sport like ice skating, snowboarding, hockey, or even sledding! Enjoy these opportunities while they last—after all, they’re only here a few months per year. Staying active will boost your energy. Seeing winter in a positive light, with all the fun activities that it has to offer, will keep your spirits high. 

9. Get Social Support
Don’t underestimate the power of friends, family, mentors, co-workers, and neighbors. Who can you turn to when you’re down and need a pick-me-up? Keep a mental list of these special people and don’t be afraid to ask for help or encouragement when you need it. Something as simple as a phone call, a chat over coffee, or a nice email or letter can brighten your mood. 

10. Catch some Zzzz’s
People naturally want to sleep a little bit more during the winter. But with all we have going on, sometimes sleep is the first thing to go. With a little time management, and some self-discipline, you can meet your shut-eye needs. Aim for 7-8 hours each night, and try to keep your bedtime and waking time consistent. That way, your sleeping patterns can normalize and you’ll have more energy. Try not to oversleep—those 12-hour snoozes on the weekend can actually make you MORE tired. Don’t forget naps! A short (10-30 minute) afternoon nap may be all you need to re-energize midday.

Colin Meister Promotion

Congratulations to Colin Meister on his promotion!

Modern is excited to announce another promotion to the team! Mr. Meister started here just weeks ago and now he is already earning his ETT title in our company. Colin got the chance to go on a business trip last week with a couple of the other executives at Modern and learned a lot of new knowledge to help him with his entrepreneur mindset. Colin's mindset is very sport-like so he knew that there was no stopping him and he was going to go all the way with more promotions to come. He has definitely brought a new excitement to our office and we are extremely excited to see the new ideas he has to bring.

PUSH THROUGH PAIN

"Times will come where it feels as if the weight of the world is on our shoulders. Make a conscious decision to refuse failure and push through the pain."

Don't you ever think and say to yourself: "I don't want to do this anymore!" or "I can't do this." At times we all forget about why we started the fight so it's extremely important to make sure we push through the pain no matter how hard it may get or seem. What motivates you to work so hard that you know you can never give up? Constantly think about your whys because that will be the only thing to give you the strength to continue. Are you fighting for your family, your friends, for time, for wealth, for freedom, for endless options, or for the world. You are the only person who knows how to motivate yourself.

Executive of the Week

Congrats to Joshua Jordan for being the top gentlemen this week by motivating others with his daily morning quotes which he posts onto our GroupMe chats where the office all stay connected in. 

"Successful people are givers and not takers of positive energy. My point is, if you maintain a positive 'tude its transferable to other people. Staying positive will get you to your goals a lot quicker. This is a way to success, and success should be your only option. #Jordan23"

Eric Thomas Motivation

Biography
Eric Thomas, PhD is a critically claimed author, world renowned speaker, educator, pastor and audible.com Audie Awards Finalist. He is better known, has taken the world by storm, with his creative style and high-energy messages. His words continue to impact tens of millions of people in several hundred countries across the planet!

Drawing from his own personal experiences as they relate to homelessness, the absence of his biological father, scholastic struggles, and various other obstacles allowed him to be an "open book" from which radiates dynamic and inspiring messages that relate to many people across all strata.

In 2005, Eric completed and received a Master's Degree from Michigan State University and on February 5th of 2015, Eric successfully defended his dissertation and will receive his Phd in Education Administration on May 8th, 2015, from Michigan State University.

Chelsea T. LOW

Good Job Chelsea on your meeting. It was very moving and inspirational!

This young lady has never been short of proving that she has the ability to out work others. Being the top lady in the office, she ran a meeting for her peers about team work and what is needed to have that bond. She believes team work is needed for any success because there has to be an understanding between everyone and not just a couple of people. 

Chelsea also enjoys motivational quotes for others and are always sharing them with the office to keep our mind in the game and to go after what we want no matter how many obstacle there may be. Pictured below is one of her favorite quotes to help her throughout her days. Chelsea, you have so much potential and we are excited to see it.

Daniel B. LOW

Congrats ‘Dan the Man’ on getting voted to run one of 
our motivational meetings this week!

Get to Know Mr. Burns:
       1. Dan has only been in the business for 3 weeks and is now already one of the 
           top guys in the office.
       2. He is definitely caffeine sensitive; which is why our management team has 
           limited him to only one cup of coffee per day.
       3. Dan is a big sports guy who played football and wrestling.
       4. The most unusual thing Dan has ever eaten was peanut butter and jelly 
           sandwich with crackers on top.
       5. Cody and Calvin who is pictured with Dan below are his two trainers 
           when he first began and now they are the closest of friends and co-workers.

Pictured Left to Right: Daniel Burns, Cody Dominguez, Calvin Lesniak

How to Stay Motivated

Each one of us has motivation, some things that spark our motivation are similar and some are not. But each of us tends to lose sight of what our goals are when things become foggy. So here are some tips and suggestion to live by in order to never lose sight of what you desire.

1.  Set goals and visualize them to the detail

You should know what you are achieving in order to have a purpose and set up ways to get there.

2.  List reasons why you are accomplishing the goals for

Connect yourself mentally and emotionally. Everyone has a why behind what they are doing.

3.  Have strategy

Work smarter not harder.

4. Get help

Reach out to others for help, we all need someone.

5. Have fun

Make things fun and enjoy the moments with fun stories to 
share once your goal is hit.                

Motivation Time!

Every second, minute, and hour, there are large mass of individuals who are thinking to themselves “Can I do this anymore?” There’s always some self doubt when times gets too tuff, but the strongest individuals are always the ones who are able to stick through the hardest moments and times in life. If we were to quit every task we started when there was one hard moment, we would never be able to accomplish anything. Everything that is started needs to be completed to have a sense of relieve for all the hard work we have put in. If we were to quit, then there would have been no improvement in our mentality because we are in the same position as when we started in the beginning. Don’t stop and continue to reach your goals because living life is about accomplishing great things for our mind, body, and soul.