Thank you to CCMC - Community Management in Plano for hosting the first part of "Outclass the Competition" series on Thursday, February 6, 2014 at their Manager's Meeting. Despite freezing weather and icy roads, the participants were fun and enthusiastic!   Read more

Julie Wakefield was the guest presenter for Richland High School's Leadership Class and football team on Wednesday, January 15, 2014. The one hour class focused on basic business etiquette tips for high school students and was sponsored by the Underwood Leadership Series.   Read more

Julie Wakefield was the guest speaker at the Tyler Young Professionals Network monthly meeting on Friday, January 10, 2014. She her presentation included business etiquette tips which are important for all emerging leaders within their profession and communities.   Read more

Now that Christmas is over and the decorations are put away, make sure you have thanked everyone who gave you a Christmas present. As a general rule, you don't have to send a note to anyone who saw you open the present and received a personal thank you. If the kids called their grandparents to tell them how much they liked the presents and thanked them on the phone, that is sufficient.   Read more

Julie Wakefield was the guest speaker at the Richardson Chamber of Commerce's monthly Brown Bag Lunch and Learn on November 19, 2013. Her presentation, "10 Tips to Outclass the Competition and Have Fun Doing It" included tips on listening, eye contact, host/guest etiquette,  table manners, and other fun tips which help business professionals stand out among their competition.   Read more

Once your application has been submitted, employers will review your paperwork to determine whether they want to learn more your experience and qualifications during an interview.  When you get the call for an interview, you know you have made a good impression on paper. Now it is time to impress a potential employer with your appearance, personality, and communication skills. Here are a few tips that will help you "Outclass the Competition." and land the job.  Read more

 Landing a job in today's competitive market is tough. Many candidates meet or exceed the advertised requirements, and have ample experience to add to their credentials. So, how do you measure up against your competition? Here are some key points that will help you during the job search process.  Read more

As an etiquette expert, one of the most frequent kinds questions I'm asked is about tipping. Most people know to tip waiters and waitresses; manicurists, barbers, and hair stylists; and cab drivers. The customary tip amount  for these professionals is 15-20% of the pretax amount. However, we sometimes unintentionally overlook professional people that deserve tips. Pamela Eyring, President of Protocol School of Washington, participated in the following article "10 People You're Not Tipping Enough. This article offers great advice on tipping professionals that we might not tip regularly.   Read more

Julie Wakefield was guest speaker at the Young Professionals of Frisco meeting on August 29. The meeting was held at the Lemon Bar in downtown Frisco. Julie discussed "10 Tips to Outclass the Competition and Have Fun Doing It" which included practical tips that every business professional should know.  Eve Liu of the Frisco Chamber said, "Julie, thank you so much for speaking at the Frisco Young Professionals'  Professional Development Series on Aug. 29.   You were entertaining and informative in the topic of business etiquette."    Read more

     Have you ever been to a restaurant with your spouse or friend and noticed that he or she is more interested in his or her cell phone than in talking to you? Or, have you ever been to a store and can't get help from the sales associate because he or she is talking on his or her cell phone? Almost everyone has a cell phone today, and it is becoming harder and harder to distinguish when to use them and when to put them away. The truth is, good manners exist in today's world of technology. Everyone needs to be aware of some basic rules for cell phone use, so here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:  Read more