By Kat McDaniel, Principal at MEDiAHEAD

At this point, I’m trying to look at the positive side of winter. Adjusting to colder weather is always hard, but when temperatures plunge and winter sets in, admit it – the cold makes you want to harm others.

There’s just something about the overcast skies, biting windchill and ice flakes hitting your face that seems so much more romantic in the movies… because in real life, it’s just plain painful.

Here are ten signs that you may be sick of winter:

1. Isn’t it funny how your dog always needs to go for a walk on the coldest day of the year? I do like seeing cats and dogs in funny sweaters and booties, even if they don’t enjoy the humiliation.
2. POTHOLES! We’ve been driving like drunk drivers for months. Unfortunately, even with all my weaving I still blew two tires and had to be towed to the dealership.
3. You don’t get out from under the covers until the very last minute. When you do, another snow day is called and you’re home with “cabin fever” kids for another day.
4. You’ve looked into moving somewhere warmer and have been 100% serious about it. I can’t believe I moved from Florida to Missouri – isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? And worst of all, your friend who moved to a warmer climate a few years back is posting pictures where it’s 85 degrees!
5. You don’t even try to dress up or look nice – what’s the point? I’ve had on black leggings and snow boots for months.
6. You’ve probably watched the same movies over and over again AND exhausted every series on Netflix and Hulu. Parents have heard the Frozen video so many times they think they’re going insane.
7. You avoid going out or making plans on extra cold days – it’s called hibernation. The good news is that you can make homemade soup and cuddle up in front of the fire.
8. You only feel disgust when you wake up to snow in your driveway. Enough with the snow angels, snowballs and sledding.
9. You dream daily about Spring and a day when you can finally step outside without your face freezing and your body going numb. It’s coming…
10. Any day that is even slightly warmer than 40 degrees puts you in a great mood. If the weather is even a tad warmer than usual, I’m completely happy. If the sun comes out, I’m ecstatic!

BUT, one day soon we’ll be saying Hello Spring because no Winter lasts forever. Spring is nature’s way of saying let’s party!

Post Author: Michele Stillwell, Marketing Distribution Portal Enthusiast | Marketing Guru | Accounting Shark | Lover of All Animals

Another year has come and gone.

It seems like they just fly by nowadays.

I’m sure you feel the same way.

One day you look up and it’s January, a fresh start to a new year.

And, before you know it, we’re counting down the days until Christmas.

The great thing about the end of the year is it’s a time to step back and reflect on the year that was.

For me personally, I’m so incredibly thankful.

2018 Was a Year to Remember

The team at MEDiAHEAD has been wonderful. All of us seem to have grown a bit closer.

That’s due in large part to the incredible strength of our leader…Kathryn.

Her perseverance has shown us all how to keep our heads up and just keep going.

For this, I’m incredibly grateful.

I’m also very grateful for each and every one of our customers and the opportunity to work with so many great partners.

Thank you all for a wonderful 2018.

We look forward to working together in the New Year!

Post Author: Michele Stillwell, Marketing Distribution Portal Enthusiast | Marketing Guru | Accounting Shark | Lover of All Animals

Have you ever caught yourself asking “What Is A Millennial Anyway?”

Millennials, aka Gen Y, are also referred to “echo boomers” due to a major surge in birth rates in the 1980’s and 1990’s and because they’re the children of Baby Boomers.

Millennials are generally noted for their increased use and familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies.

With that in mind, I’d like to introduce you to Seth Trokey and Emily Alvarez, two awesome Millennials who we’re lucky enough to have at MEDiAHEAD.

Both are graduates from the Kansas City Art Institute and bring a wealth of knowledge and skill to MEDiAHEAD!

Meet Seth

Seth is our Director of Shipping and Receiving.

He’s done an outstanding job of making the role his own and putting new processes and procedures in place.

He’s learned the software platforms we use and takes a ton of pride in his work.

Seth also does 2D animation and brings this wonderful skill to MEDiAHEAD on the side.

He created our video for the Holiday cards and is working on another video for us (which I’ll keep a secret until it’s released!)

Meet Emily

Emily is our Bindery Production Manager and has learned every piece of equipment we have.

She has an outstanding personality and does a fantastic job of getting things done on time with quality always top of mind.

Emily is also a creative wizard.

If you look around you just might see some of her artwork as she has created some murals (one, in particular, is at Bridge Space in Lee’s Summit.) Emily is also hand drawing the Holiday Card for MEDiAHEAD!

Seth and Emily definitely don’t fit the “ME, ME, ME” stereotype of Millennials. They show up to work each and every day with a smile and bring a wealth of positive energy that’s contagious.

We’re super happy to have these two awesome people on our team!

Post Author: Michele Stillwell, Marketing Distribution Portal Enthusiast | Marketing Guru | Accounting Shark | Lover of All Animals

Tennis anyone?

I’m going to be completely honest with you.

I’m REALLY competitive. In fact, I’m by far the most competitive person I know.

My competitive fire is even more challenging when I play my favorite sport against my husband. Yep, we play singles tennis together about three-to-four times per week.

So where did this competitive obsession come from?

It all started when I was a kid, playing tennis with my father. He fueled the competitive drive in me because any game we played, he won! He was a great tennis player. In fact, he was great at everything.

Playing tennis with him was true competition. It was always my ultimate goal to beat him.

I never did.

Tennis is a sport that gets you in great shape both physically and mentally.

It requires you to always concentrate not only on your opponent’s next move but to also focus on yourself (positioning for each and every hit, your opponent, holding your racquet, your swing, etc).

(Pro Tip: It also helps to know the kind of strings your racquet is strung with to ensure your best game.)

So can I beat my husband? Why yes, I can!  We’re so incredibly competitive, it’s absurd! We don’t throw our racquets, (just because they’re so expensive) but we get pretty close to that point!

We also play against other people as well and it’s lots of fun.

If you’re interested in trying a tennis league out, we’re members of the Northland Racquet Club. They have lessons and six indoor courts. They also let you play Pickleball if that’s more your speed.

Any other tennis fanatics out there?

Post Author: Michael Johnson, Senior Project Manager

With my recycle bin overflowing with empty coffee cups, and my coworkers dishing out their daily dose of ridicule over my obsession with a daily coffee or two, I decided to sit down and let you all know why I love coffee so much.

First off, the smell…I absolutely love how coffee smells. There’s nothing better than waking up to the mesmerizing smell of coffee.

When I was younger, I remember driving in downtown KC near the Folgers plant and always enjoyed the smell of coffee in the air. Back then, I just couldn’t enjoy the taste. I tried and tried and tried…but I just didn’t like it.

My parents always told me it was an acquired taste. And boy were they right.

Coffee, to me, is just the start of every day. It means I’m here and I’m gonna give it my all…for at least one more day….and I’m going to be upbeat and wired.

As I’ve gotten older, I associate coffee with all the things I enjoy doing in life.

Each weekend morning, my wife and I wake up with our two dogs, Gus & Reggie, and walk them down to the coffee shop. Our dogs get a big bowl of water and a couple of dog treats the shop so graciously provides their four-legged customers.

My wife and I each get a cup of coffee and a small bite to eat, sit outside an

d talk about how our week went and the fun plans we have for the weekend ahead.

In addition to the great smell and amazing taste, coffee also provides moments in life where I visit with my dog or join a group of friends, chilling and catching up.

Even better, in some quick online coffee research, I found that coffee has some pretty amazing health benefits.

This includes cutting muscle pain after a workout, lowering your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, fighting depression and lowering your risk of heart disease.

If you haven’t found the love of coffee yet, get out there and visit your local coffee house, get healthy get that cup of coffee!