Aurora Casket on the Cover of Smart Business

Bill Backman, the president and owner of Aurora Casket, is on this month's cover of Smart Business Magazine. Check out the story below, and be sure to read "The Backman File."

The Sixth Sense
How Bill Backman and his team at Aurora recognize opportunities within industry trends
http://www.sbnonline.com/Local/Article/19468/69/0/The_sixth_sense.aspx

Fantastic company, wonderful people. Congrats!

Kardi Goes to Work

On Friday, Kardi joined us at EMG for a day of work. He greeted everyone that came in the door.



and filled out timesheets.....



Then came home after a long day at work to find a bone in his stocking!




Good day to be a dog.

All I Want for Christmas is.....a Lexus?

Ah, the Lexus Christmas ads have begun. Every year, these ads make me feel as if I live in an alternate universe from the folks in Lexus Land. In the ads, the husband leads an unsuspecting wife outside to see a brand new lexus wrapped up in an oversized bow. The wife is overcome with joy and runs to check out every detail of her new car. They hug, kiss and he has a happy wife.

Ok. Let's re-enact this scene with a hint of reality. My husband leads me outside on Christmas morning to find my bow-tied Lexus sitting in the driveway. My first thought is, "oh Christ, my husband stole this car."

Then it would cross my mind that maybe he actually bought the car. I quickly dismiss this thought, knowing that my husband would never be that stupid. Then I think, "if he really did buy it, I hope it's comfortable because he's going to be sleeping in it for a LONG time."

You get the idea. But seriously, since when is a LEXUS a normal Christmas gift? How do you tell your girlfriends this story? "Oh yes, my husband got me a Lexus for Christmas. Oh, you got a sweater? Well that's nice too. It's the thought that counts." Friendless in no time.

This also begs the question. Since when is it normal to make a $40,000 purchase without consulting your spouse? Unless you're Warren Buffet, do not do this. As for me, I'll stick with my old Honda and my Christmas gift of an extension ladder. I wasn't snooping...extention ladders are hard to hide. :-)

Congrats to Angela & Gary

On Friday morning, EMG's vice president gave birth to a baby boy, Reed. Congratulations to the new mom & dad!

Congrats to EMG

Last week was a great week for us! EMG was named an Emerging 30 designee and a Fast 55 business. We also got several MarCom awards, including a platinum winner for our work with Eagle Coach Company and Roto Rooter.

On top of all of that, we were nominated for Best Places to Work.

We rock :-)

USAF 1/2 Marathon

Uh oh, I've been a very bad blogger. It's my new resolution to keep this updated. We've been so busy at EMG...but that's a good thing!

In any case, I ran the Air Force 1/2 Marathon a couple weeks ago. It went well, though my time was a bit slower than the Flying Pig. It was my first time running this particular race, and it was really neat to have the fly-overs by the fighter planes just before the race started. TONS of volunteers that made the race a great success!

Air Force 1/2 Marathon

I just signed up for the Air Force Half Marathon in Dayton. I've been itching to run another race, and I've heard great things about this one.

Now comes the not-so-fun part...training! It's only a month away so I need to whip myself back into shape. :-) My dog has no idea what he's in for...he's going to be in the best shape of his life when this is over!

Introducing: Kardi

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for dogs! For the past year I was in a third-floor apartment in Covington that didn't allow pets. Now that I've got a house with a fenced in yard, I couldn't wait to find a four legged companion.

I found Kardi though a quick search on Craigslist--there was a nearby couple moving to NYC in 2010 and needed to find a home for their dog. After meeting the dog several times and getting to take him for a "test day," I made the decision to take him.

We got him today, and so far he's made himself at home. He's a really mild-tempered dog, a great for a running partner, and obedient. He's a 5 year old mix of border collie and gordon setter.

EMG is named the #29 Professional Services PR firm in the country!

O'Dwyers recently ranked EMG as the #29 Professional Services PR firm in the country. This was not sought out or applied for...rankings are independent and based on a host of credentials.

Congrats to the team at EMG!

We were also ranked as one of the top 150 overall PR firms in the country earlier this month.

Boston & NYC

I recently went on vacation in Boston and New York City. In both places, I visited friends from college and got the insider's look of the cities. In Boston, I "learned" to sail (this photo is of me "sailing" a parked boat) and in NYC I got a feel for what it's like to live as a young professional in Manhattan. Thanks to Nikki and Brian for showing us around!

Home Sweet Home

I just bought a house, and I will officially have the keys on Thursday. It's a little house in a nice neighborhood of Oakley...just right for a first home.

Cincinnati May Festival

Since 1880 Cincinnati has been hosting the May Festival, which features some of the best choral music ever composed. Now the 2009 season is upon us! We've been working hard (70 hours of rehearsal in the past couple weeks..no joke, our director did the math) to make this happen.

Tomorrow night's performance is the first of the season, with Mozart's Requiem. I have a lot of people coming to that performance, including some coworkers from EMG. I'm excited for them to hear our choir for the first time. :-)

Miss California: Was Her Answer Right or Wrong?

Answer: Irrelevant.

Seriously. She was asked a question. She answered the question.

As a former contestent in the Miss America system (this is NOT the same as Miss USA, which is where Miss California comes in), I understand how pageants are supposed to be judged.

Rule #1: Responses should be judged according to confidence in delivery, understanding of the subject, and in being articulate. The position she takes on controversial subjects is not to be taken into consideration.

We all know that Perez Hilton docked her points for disagreeing with him (nice work, genius)...and to Miss USA, way to pick a quality judge. Did it cost her the crown? Maybe, and that's sad. Taints the validity of the whole organization.

In any case, the media has gone haywire over this. She doesn't believe in gay marriage--oh my God, national media crisis.

I believe that gay marriage should be legalized. I think that our current laws are a violation of a person's most basic human rights. But Miss Cali also has the right to disagree, which is fine by me. They asked for her opinion, which she supplied.

But this is a pageant question, and she answered honestly. They asked, she answered. Now the media is trying frame her as a hypocrite. Logic:

She opposes gay marriage --> therefore, she is a Jesus freak --> therefore, her suggestive photos are morally wrong --> therefore, she is a hypocrite.

Hehehehe. I find this hilarious. She's a MODEL--those shots are part of her profession! I guarantee every contestant standing on that stage has photos just like those. I say leave her alone, she's entitled to her beliefs. Last time I checked, stating an opinion was not cause for a national media meltdown. Deep breath, everyone.

Flying Pig: Conquered

I ran the Flying Pig half marathon on Sunday, which started bright (or should I say dark?) and early at 6:30 a.m. It was my first time running the Pig, and I was amazing at how many people were there. All 50 states represented!

I finished in 2:15, which is about 20 minutes slower than in my college days, but nevertheless I finished without walking.

This is me with my medal (obviously not immediately after running the race..those will never go public.)

You know you live in Kentucky when...

Last night I was running along the Ohio River (kentucky side) when I saw two lads unloading a canoe and putting it in the water. I thought to myself, "A canoe? In the Ohio River?" Then I saw that the tiny canoe was literally held together with duct tape.

I stopped running to watch the scene unfold. One man got into the canoe, while the other went to get the oars from the car. The oars turned out to be SHOVELS. Yes, shovels. The old, heavy, metal kind.

I'll be watching for them on the news.

Miguel eats the Thurmanator Burger

On Monday evening I got a call from my friend Miguel in Columbus. He was in the middle of a challenge he saw on the TV show Man vs. Food. The challenge: finish the Thurmanator Burger.

The Thurmanator is 1 1/2 lbs of beef, a 1/2 pound of ham and bacon, and all other toppings. It is required that you eat the fries as well.

Miguel and 5 coworkers set about the competition, and most did not finish. Miguel finished his burger and fries in a record 13 minutes. The next closest competitor came in at 56 minutes.

I don't know why I felt compelled to share this, but I did. And I feel disgusted.

Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon

Soo....in a moment of weakness I decided to sign up for the Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon. This should be interesting.

Just got done running the Heart Mini in downtown Cincinnati, but I hear the Flying Pig is much more difficult & hilly, not to mention it's 13m instead of 9.5.

In short, I have no idea what I've gotten myself into.

Food Critic: Coach's Corner

WOW, this place deserves a 10!! Coach's Corner is one of those places where everyone's a regular...inviting & quirky. The large glass bulb christmas lights hanging from the ceiling make it feel like something pulled from the deep south, and the beer on tap was a variety of quality brews. Perhaps the best decoration was a lineup of Bengals bobbleheads--Chad Johnson with a paper bag over his face.

The service was outstanding. Our waitress was someone I can see myself becoming friends with over a few drinks at the bar. The whole staff was inviting...making sure our first time at Coach's Corner was a good experience. They asked us back for drinks and promised to know us by name eventually.

The food was fantastic...I had one of the best spicy grilled chicken sandwiches ever. It was heavy and I feel stuffed as I write this, but it was so worth it. Perfectly cooked (fresh) chicken and great sauces. A+!!! We will definitely be back!

Food Critic: Green Derby Cafe

EMG went to the Green Derby Cafe last Friday to rate the service and the food. Honestly, I was unimpressed by both. The portion was small, my fish was bland, and service took a loooooong time. However, they were busy and I understand that lunch crowds can slow down the kitchen. I would have been just fine with the wait if I hadn't be so disappointed in the food. Next week, on to the next!

...and my whole body hurts.

I've been trying not to grunt and moan with every movement, but I feel like I've been run over by a truck. But it was all for a good cause...I ran the Heart Mini Marathon yesterday!

Despite 40 degree weather, gusting winds (this brought a whole new meaning to "hitting a wall") and a cold rain that occasionally graced the course, over 13,000 people came out to run at least one of the races on Columbia Parkway. On the Mini Marathon course, I managed to pull off a time of 1 hr 35 minutes with a right shoe that, after stepping in a deep puddle during warmup, sloshed with water the entire race.

It was a fun race, and I intend to come back next year for another round. It's a great motivator for getting in shape after the winter, and it's inspiring to see all the heart disease/stroke victims running the race along along with everyone else.

A special thanks to all the race volunteers who made such a huge event possible!