Hang in there HR folks...

Since this is my first Cool Works (tm) HR post I thought I'd start with a mini-introduction of me. My name is Kari Quaas and I'm the newest member of the Cool Works team. My previous life was spent in the cruise line industry with titles ranging from Driver/Guide to Assistant HR Manager with safety and training in between. I am very familiar with this time of the year when things are moving a mile a minute, the phone rings off the hook and you're thinking to yourself, "Will this ever end??!!" I'm here to say that this too shall pass. Enjoy this time of craziness because it will only make the not-so-crazy time all the more precious.

I thought I would share a poem with you that I found as I was starting college. My hope is that you'll take a moment to read and appreciate the words....and then get back to work!

"If there ever were a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, it is now. Not for any grand cause, necessarily - but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your aspiration, something that's your dream.

You owe it to yourself to make your days here count. Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch. Dream big.

Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy. There will be good days. And there will be bad days. There will be times when you want to turn around, pack it up, and call it quits. Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself, that you are not afraid to learn by trying. Persist.

Because with an idea, determination and the right tools, you can do great things. Let your instincts, your intellect, and your heart guide you. Trust.

Believe in the incredible power of the human mind. Of doing something that makes a difference. Of working hard. Of laughing and hoping. Of lazy afternoons. Of lasting friends. Of all things that will cross your path this year.

The start of something new brings the hope of something great. Anything is possible. There is only one you. And you will pass this way only once. Do it right."