HopToIt: Judge a Company by the Kitchen It Keeps

By Rich Gilroy

When you compare marketing communications firms, what is the most important factor to consider? The portfolio? Case studies? Client testimonials? The firm’s website? How about its kitchen?

The other day, I remarked to Lisa Martin, LeapFrog Solutions’ founder and CEO, that we have the cleanest kitchen of just about anyplace I’ve ever worked. I went on to say that it seems to demonstrate what a collaborative and supportive team we have here. In all fairness, we do have a schedule in the kitchen and everyone (except, strangely, Lisa) is assigned a week of kitchen clean-up duty. Yet it’s not uncommon to see someone who’s not assigned to kitchen duty unloading the dishwasher, restocking the granola bars and giving the counters a wipe. This is especially true when the assigned kitchen-keeper is on travel, out sick or in non-stop meetings. And despite her exemption from assigned duty, I have seen Lisa empty the dishwasher. (Of course, being the well-known sycophant that I am, I always offer to help!)

We’ve all worked at offices in which the kitchen sink was usually full of dirty mugs, dishes and flatware — even though the dishwasher was right next to the sink. Years ago, I worked in an office where one individual became so exasperated by the sink full of dishes that she tossed out all the mugs. Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth that ensued.

There was another office in which the refrigerator had become so filled with plastic containers of decomposing leftovers and dips — and baggies of fuzzy green sandwiches ─ that the stench was overwhelming. We literally wore rubber gloves to clean and purge.

And still another office that much to the chagrin of its environmentally conscious staff, provided only paper plates and plastic flatware. Why? The office general manager told me — and I’m not making this up — that they used to stock regular dishes and flatware, but they kept “walking out the door.”

So if a clean kitchen suggests a dedicated, supportive — and dare I say, “happy” — team, what does a dirty kitchen suggest? Here’s a list of possible theories:

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LeapFrog Solutions Appoints Lee Brinckley Web Development Manager; Lindsay Walker, Anjali Dighe, Amy Kerr, Join Company

Oakton, Va. — February 8, 2012 — LeapFrog Solutions, Inc. (LFS), a full-service strategic marketing communications firm, announced today that it has appointed Lee Brinckley as the company's web development manager. The company also appointed Lindsay Walker as an account coordinator, Anjali Dighe as executive assistant and client development manager, and Amy Kerr an accountant.

"I am pleased to welcome Lee, Anjali, Lindsay and Amy to the LeapFrog Solutions team," said LFS founder and CEO Lisa Martin. "As our company grows, we will continue to add talented persons to enhance our offerings and expand our service to government and private sector clients."

Brinckley, who has more than 12 years experience in website design, programming and marketing, will be responsible for integrating web and new media solutions into marketing plans for LFS clients. Brinckley is an expert on MODX, an open source content management system (CMS) for web systems. He joins LFS from Nehlsen Communications in Moline, Ill., where he was director of web marketing. He also has worked as a senior web designer and consultant. Brinckley earned his BFA degree in multimedia and graphic design from Greenville College.

Dighe has a varied and deep portfolio, with more than 15 years of progressive corporate positions. She has spearheaded financial and strategic planning, capital management and development as well as internal operations management for both national and multinational companies including ZGS Broadcast Holdings, Stranix, Discovery Communications and Robert Half International. She earned a B.A. degree in political science from North Carolina State University.

Walker, who brings in more than five years of experience in project management, came to LFS from George Mason University where she was a program coordinator managing certificate programs and contract training programs. At LFS, she assists with account coordination, reporting, and research for both commercial and government clients. Walker monitors the media for news about flood insurance in support of FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, a major LFS client. Walker earned her B.A. degree in communications with a minor in graphic design from Longwood University.

Kerr, who joins LFS as an accountant, has 15 years experience in accounting, finance and bookkeeping. Prior to joining LFS, she was a staff accountant for CityView in Los Angeles, Calif., one of the nation's premier institutional investment firms focused on urban real estate. She earned her A.S. degree in digital media from Full Sail Real World Education and her A.A. degree in general studies from Central Florida Community College.