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As the world goes through an unprecedented time and countless projects have been pushed back, there’s a saturation of available, qualified consultants. Interviewing and perfecting your resume has always been hard but with our current situation, landing a job is even harder. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to set yourself apart from other applicants and help you land your next role: Be More Flexible With less positions available during these times, it may be necessary to consider taking a role that’s slightly lesser than your experience provides for or think about working for a company you may not have considered before. There may be a certain company you didn’t take a job with because of travel demands. With most roles being fully remote now, this company could be an option now. We can agree that while these options aren’t perfect, they may be necessary for the time being and in the long run, could help you land that dream job later down the road. Keep Your Skills Sharp This is likely the first extended period of downtime folks have had in a long time.  If you find yourself with more time on your hands, you can use this time to bulk up your resume to set you apart by expanding your skillset. You could pick up formal training on the new emerging technology you have been looking into, gain a certification you maybe never had time for before, or train in a new module being released. Showing companies that you have the drive and ability to pick up these rarer skills can make you significantly more marketable. Stay Connected to Your Network Basically, everything’s virtual now! Keeping up with colleagues and friends you have made along your journey can give you integral market info on where and what projects are picking up. These connections and even your recruiter’s connections could be the key to unlocking a position or project you might have never known about. Even if you don’t have any viable connections, just let your recruiter know, and they can use their network to help fast track you to a position. Truly, it’s about open communication and a willingness to work together that will get the job done!

Last Feature Friday, we heard from Darrell Freeman and his thoughts on how to be successful by holding you and your employees to an honest, kind standard. We loved his insight so much we asked him to expand on just how an honest business can drive you to invest in people personally and professionally, and how those both drive better decisions for you and better lives for others. Take a look at his conversation with our Vice President of Marketing, Emily Burroughs: Emily Burroughs: You’ve sold companies, started new ones, continued to consult for Zycron, and been named to several boards of directors, all while as you say, “failing to success,” apart from these titles how would you define success? Darrell Freeman: Well, three ways. When I was going into the office every day, success was when I would hear the laughter. When I would hear people having a good time. That was a sign of success for me because I always wanted to have a company where people enjoyed what they were doing. They were performing, but they were having a good time. But, financially, success is the bottom line. Are we adding value to the bottom line? But then also my third, and almost equally as important as the first two which is, what are we doing for our community? And so, how are we giving back? Are we helping people get an education? Are we helping people to get jobs? Are we helping people in our community to be better? And so I always had two bottom lines. Profitability was one, of course, that’s important. But number two was, what are we doing for our communities? Those are three important ones for me, taking care of the people, being profitable, and then understanding what we do for our community. EB: Absolutely, community has been one of BGSF’s main focus, it’s the end of what we like to call the “ripple” effect. What causes have you found yourself giving to lately? DF:  I’m spending a lot of time with 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee. I’m spending a lot of time with the Entrepreneurs Center, serving on their board. And we’re contributing. My wife and I are contributing to just various organizations EB: I know you spend a good bit of your time giving back when you’re not working. Could you give us a brief window into what you’ve done? DF: Yes, I’ve taken seven trips to the Bahamas, taking supplies to the folks who were impacted by the hurricane. I’ve taken trips to San Juan, taking supplies to people who were impacted by the hurricane. I’ve been involved in Angel Flight and COVID relief, flying COVID samples from people in Georgia, so that they can get their samples back quickly. Just a variety of ways… I’m finding ways to give back, and I think what we have, what I have is only justified by what I share, and so I’ve never wanted to be a successful person, a successful, stingy person. I wanted to be a successful person that shares and gives. I’m in a position to do that, and the beautiful part about the relationship with BGSF is they understand that. That’s my mission. I may fly to the Bahamas four or five times in a month taking supplies, but, that’s who I am, that’s what I’m gonna do. I’ve been in to pretty much every hurricane there has been, from the earthquakes of Haiti to San Juan, Hurricane Mike in Florida, Hurricane Katrina. EB: Obviously, you invest a large part of your time giving back, what would you say is the one thing you can never over-invest in, and how does that bring about success? DF: People. You can’t ever over-invest in people. I’m still an entrepreneur. I’m still involved in several companies that I’m invested in, several that I’m helping to grow. And you can’t over-invest in people, because when you have good people in your team and you invest in them, you get a great return, and it’s not just a return for the company and the bottom line, but it’s a great return for them. They improve themselves. They improve their value, and what they’re able to contribute, not only to the company, but what they’re able to contribute to their families, and to their community. So, I think investing in people is a huge opportunity and I’ve spent my years doing that. And investing in people who may have been traditionally overlooked. I’ve done that numerous times and investing based on what my gut said versus what their resume said. Based on what their personality said versus what their experience said.  I like investing in people and I also like stretching people to be more than what they ever thought they could be. EB: 100%. DF: You can’t over-invest. Because people have huge potential, and oftentimes, we live below our potential. But if you ran into the right person, they will stretch you and help you get closer to what your potential is. And so I’m always stretching people. And I also like being stretched, and so there are still people in my life today that they question whether or not I’m being my best, am I doing my best. And so there’s always a balance, if you will, or are you living up to your potential. And the scariest thing, not the scariest thing, I mean I’m scared of heights and all that stuff. But one of the scary things is not living up to your potential. That should scare everybody. EB: With that, what advantage does investing in others to help them reach their goals and dreams have for them? DF: I always say that everybody is born with a seed for success inside of them. But oftentimes, based on where they’re born, the circumstances in which they’re born into, that seed may not grow and prosper. And so, unfortunately in our country, there are some segments of our society where if you’re born in poverty, your seed for success may not grow and prosper. If you’re born on the wrong side of the tracks, your seed for success may not have a chance to grow and prosper. If you’re born in a place where educational opportunities are not presented, your seed for success may not grow and prosper. And so what I try to do with my success is be an influence in those areas, to take that young man or that young woman who’s growing up in poverty and saying, “Hey, let me invest in you, let me invest in making you… So that your seed for success can grow and prosper,” and then when you do that, I ask them to turn around and invest in other people, so it’s then having them pay it forward. We all need help, and the reason why I know that is because I grew up in a place where I needed help, and I haven’t forgotten that. And I think when you grow up poor, and your parents don’t have all of the things, the necessary tools that are required for you… My parents never did finish high school, but it had more to do with America than their own abilities. My parents went to segregated schools, I went to segregated schools, and so I understand that there are still kids today who are going to segregated schools, schools that don’t have good books, don’t have computers, don’t have all the things that my kids have today. I try to make an impact on their lives so that they can grow and be successful and have an impact on other folk’s lives. Growing up poor, you learn how to have empathy for people. And see, some people can’t have empathy for people, because they never experienced having their lights turned off or not having a meal, they don’t have empathy because they can’t feel that, everything’s already been handed to them. I think that’s one of the… I call empathy one of the pearls of poverty. While a pearl is valuable… Poverty is not a good place, but a pearl you can get from being in poverty is empathy, and some people don’t have it. EB: Who in your life saw your seed for success, and made a profound impact on you? DF: I would have to say my wife’s work in dealing with me all these years. [laughter] She’s put in a lot of work, and the strange thing is, she thought at some point I would stop taking risk, and I did stop for a little while, but I couldn’t take it, I’m addicted to it. But she continues to be by my side and continues to support me, and even though I’m invested in things that she may not know a lot about, but she asks the right questions and she works with me to think through various strategies. And we’ve got four kids, they’re successful kids because of her. Her work is impressive, and I couldn’t have done any of the stuff that I’ve done without the work she’s put in. Because I always knew that when I left home to go do business or to go create a partnership or to go to try to win a contract, when I left home, that I knew that the home front was gonna be taken care of, and I knew that regardless of what kind of day I had if I went in… If I went out to the office and I lost $200,000, and I was down and depressed, that when I got home, that she was gonna treat me the same. I also knew that if I went out and made a million dollars and came home to her, she’s gonna treat me the same. She’s still gonna say… If I came home saying, “I really closed this $10 million deal today, signed this $10 million contract,” she still may say, “Well, you left your underwear on the floor.” She’s helped to keep me in an even keel. She never let me get too high, and she never let me get too low, and I think that requires a lot of work. EB: She sees your value as a person outside of your value as a businessman, it’s always important to have those who bring us down to earth. But, what would you say gives a person overall value? DF: Honesty and integrity. That adds value to people. And then… Good people beget good people… And when I say, good people…over the years of hiring hundreds of people, in the early years I would hire people who I thought had the best skillset. But oftentimes I may hire the person with the best skill set, but they were not the best people. Hiring good people who have integrity, honesty, and kindness, all those things are important. EB: Okay, last question, how do you want to be remembered? How do you want to build your legacy? DF: As a giver. Yeah. That’s it, a giver. I wanna be a giver known to the community as a giver and to my family, to my kids and wife, I wanna be known as a good husband and a good father. But simply, yeah, that’s it. That wraps it up. I mean if that could be on my tombstone, I’d be good. A Bit About Darrell Freeman: Darrell Freeman, the Executive Managing Director of Zycron, an information technology services and solutions firm he founded in 1991 and later sold to BGSF in 2017. Zycron became a division of BGSF. Freeman also co-founded Tennessee-based Reliant Bank in 2006 and has served as a board member and a member of the audit and compensation committees of Commerce Union Bancshares, Inc., the holding company for Reliant Bank, since its inception. Additionally, in 2007 Mr. Freeman co-founded Pinnacle Construction Partners, a construction management firm, and has served as the chairman since 2007. Since 2016, Mr. Freeman has also served as the chairman of the board of directors of S3 Asset Management, a technology, and medical equipment recycling company. Most recently, he was added to the Board of BCBS Tennessee. Mr. Freeman holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology and a master’s degree in Industrial Studies, both from Middle Tennessee State University. While he still maintains a smaller, consulting role now to Zycron, he spends his time investing in his community, as well as improving the educational system. When he’s not investing in dreams or new businesses, you’re likely to find him flying his plane, where he hosts his YouTube series, “Cockpit Conversations.” 1 Response Honoring The Legacy of Darrell S. Freeman, Sr. - S3 Recycling Solutions | October 26, 2022 […] endeavors. He touched countless lives with his generosity and leadership. When asked in a 2020 interview how he wanted to be remembered, he responded: As a giver to the community, and a good husband and […]

Division August 10, 2023 Client Challenge Our client, a public university, had an annual revenue exceeding $575 million from discretionary awards, including grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements from federal, state, and private sponsors. Due to an expanding award portfolio, their resources fell short in handling the associated administrative tasks, resulting in a substantial backlog of accounts needing closure. Solutions Delivered BGSF was selected to manage this massive undertaking and partnered with our client to develop, manage, and execute a plan to address the backlog of accounts requiring closeout. Learn More Here Click here to download the full case study and learn about project results (including discovering $18 million of undetected, billable revenue!) and conclusions that were drawn from the experience. If you are facing a similar challenge in your organization, click here to talk to an expert today!

Division Professional Division August 2, 2023 Client Challenge As a forward-thinking educational institution, our client adopted the Oracle PeopleSoft suite to streamline its administrative processes and enhance the overall efficiency of its operations. With the complexity and ever-evolving nature of PeopleSoft applications, the client recognized the need for expert assistance to bridge their skills gap and ensure the seamless operation of their critical systems. The college utilized PeopleSoft applications including Finance, Human Capital Management (HCM), and Campus Solutions. Solutions Delivered BGSF offered the expertise and dedication required to exceed the client’s specific needs, including filling the skills gap, technical and application upgrades, uninterrupted support, and strategic consulting. Learn More Here Click here to download the full case study and learn about project results and conclusions that were drawn from the experience. If you are facing a similar challenge in your organization, click here to talk to an expert today!

Division Donovan & Watkins, Professional Division February 7, 2020 This Statement establishes financial accounting and reporting standards for stock-based employee compensation plans. Those plans include all arrangements by which employees receive shares of stock or other equity instruments of the employer or the employer incurs liabilities to employees in amounts based on the price of the employer’s stock. Examples are stock purchase plans, stock options, restricted stock, and stock appreciation rights. This Statement also applies to the transactions in which an entity issues its equity instruments to acquire goods or services from non-employees. Those transactions must be accounted for based on the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, whichever is more reliably measurable. Accounting for Awards of Stock-Based Compensation to Employees. This Statement defines a fair valued based method of accounting for an employee stock option or similar equity instrument and encourages all entities to adopt that method of accounting for all their employee stock compensation plans. However, it also allows an entity to continue to measure compensation cost for those plans using the intrinsic value-based method of accounting prescribed by APB Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees. The fair value-based method is preferable to the Opinion 25 method for purposes of justifying a change in accounting principle under APB Opinion No. 20, Accounting Changes. Entities electing to remain with the accounting in Opinion 25 must make pro forma disclosures of net income and, if presented, earning per share, as if the fair value-based method of accounting defined in this statement had been applied. Under the fair value-based method, compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the value of the award and is recognized over the service period. Which is usually the vested period. Under the intrinsic value-based method, compensation cost is the excess, if any, of the quoted market price of the stock at the grant date, and under Opinion 25 no compensation cost is recognized for them. Compensation cost is recognized for other types of stock-based compensation plans under Opinion 25, including plans with variable, usually performance-based, features. Stock Compensation Awards Required to Be Settled by Issuing Equity Instruments. Stock Options For stock options, fair value is determined using an option-pricing model that takes into account the stock price at the grant date, the exercise price, the expected life of the option, the volatility of the underlying stock and expected dividends on it, and the risk-free interest rate over the expected life of the option. Nonpublic entities are permitted to exclude the volatility factor in estimating the value of their stock options, which results in measurement at the minimum value. The fair value of an option estimated at the grant date is not subsequently adjusted for changes in the price of the underlying stock or its volatility, the life of the option, dividends on the stock, or the risk-free interest rate. Nonvested Stock The fair value of a share of nonvested stock (usually referred to as restricted stock) awarded to an employee is measured at the market price of a share of a nonrestricted stock on the grant date unless a restriction will be imposed after the employee has a vested right to it, in which case fair value is estimated taking that restriction into account. Employee Stock Purchase Plans An employee stock purchase plan that allows employees to purchase stock at a discount from market price is not compensatory if it satisfies three conditions: (a) the discount is relatively small (five percent or less satisfies this condition automatically, though in some cases a greater discount also might be justified as non-compensatory), (b) substantially all full-time employees may participate on an equitable basis, and (c) the plan incorporates no option features such as allowing the employee to purchase stock at a fixed discount from the lesser of the market price at grant date or date of purchase. Stock Compensation Awards Required to Be Settled by Paying Cash Some stock-based compensation plans require an employer to pay an employee, either on-demand or at a specified date, a cash amount determined by the increase in the employer’s stock price from a specified level. The entity must measure compensation cost for that award in the amount of the changes in the stock price in the periods in which the changes occur. Disclosures The pro forma amounts requires to be disclosed by an employer that continues to apply the accounting provisions of Opinion 25 will reflect the difference between compensation cost, if any, included in net income and the related cost measured by the fair value based method defined in this Statement, including tax effects, if any, that would have been recognized in the income statement if the fair value based method had been used. The required pro forma amounts will not reflect any other adjustments to reported net income or, if presented, earnings per share. Effective Date and Transition The accounting requirements of this Statement are effective for transactions entered in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 1995, though they may have adopted on issuance. The disclosure requirements of this statement are effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1995, or for an earlier fiscal year for which this Statement is initially adopted for recognizing compensation cost. Pro forma disclosures required for entities that elect to continue to measure compensation cost using Opinion 25 must include the effects of all awards granted in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 1994. Pro forma disclosures for awards granted in the first fiscal year beginning after December 15, 1994, need not be included in financial statements for that fiscal year but should be presented subsequently whenever financial statements for that.

Division Professional Division October 6, 2022 Read here!

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Division July 15, 2021 Are you ready to join us for the next installment of our webinar series on diversity in the workplace? Click to register today for free to hear four thought leaders share their tips and tricks for driving equity in the workplace. Grab your ‘seat’ at this complimentary event today! When: Wednesday, July 21st 2021 @ 11:30AM CST Cindy Clare President & Chief Operating Officer, Bell Partners As Bell Partners’ Chief Operating Officer, Cindy Clare, CPM, oversees the operations of over 65,000 apartment homes in more than 240 apartment communities across the nation. She is responsible for all aspects of community management for both third-party and Bell-owned communities. This oversight includes community operations and maintenance, lease-ups, relationships with third-party owners, marketing, and brand management. Marci French VP Operations, HRG Management Services LLC Marci French is the VP of Operations with HRG Management Services and an NAAEI faculty member. With over 25 years of multifamily experience, she builds, leads, and coaches high-performing teams. With a unique combination of skills, Marci possesses extensive portfolio experience including urban and suburban living, LIHTC, new development and lease-up, renovations and repositioning, as well as student housing. Her drive has garnered several industry awards across the nation. Rob Laster HR Director, Helen of Troy Rob is an accomplished Human Resource (HR) and Organizational Development (OD) leader who connects business strategies to cultural health drivers and performance metrics. As Sr. Director of HR at Helen of Troy, a company focused on elevating lives and soaring together; Rob has led the way to a total company cultural transformation. Now as an employer of choice, Helen of Troy leads the field in best-in-class results in Associate Satisfaction/Retention, Customer Satisfaction, and Financial Results. Cynt Marshall CEO, Dallas Mavericks Cynt Marshall has been a dynamic force for inclusion and diversity within the Mavericks organization and over a 36-year career at AT&T.  When Cynt was hired as new the CEO of the Mavs in March 2018, she set her sights on a culture transformation. Her vision was for the Mavericks organization to become the NBA standard for inclusion and diversity and brought transparency, trust, and a values-based leadership style that evolved the company culture in her first 100 days. Ebony Butler Director Diversity, Learning & Development, BGSF Ebony Butler has 16+ years of learning and development experience and over six years of experience, specifically focusing on creating inclusive workplace cultures for all. She joined BGSF in January 2021 as the Director, Diversity, Development & Learning. Ebony feels extremely fortunate to be able to couple both of her passions: sharing knowledge and cultivating inclusive and appreciative work cultures.

Division Professional Division May 19, 2021 Read here!

Division BGSF, Information Technology, LJ Kushner & Associates, Professional Division May 13, 2021 Read here!

Division BGSF, Professional Division May 13, 2021 Read here!