We can’t believe it’s already summer 2010! When it comes to our camp experience so far, there’s a lot to write home about! For starters, we partnered up with some new clients, including Mattel, Epson and Google’s YouTube. We also completed our first company-wide Foosball competition, enjoyed a special visit from the famous Korean BBQ Kogi Truck, ate lots of ice cream and worked really, really hard for our clients! We also asked a few new Buddies to come aboard. Please welcome and get to know Marc Anthony, Beth, Sheyda and Jennifer!
Marc Anthony “Party Animal” Barrette
I.T. Director
When we intervie
wed Marc Anthony, we were really impressed with his extensive experience that included holding such positions as Chief Technology Officer, I.T Director and Sr. Engineer. But, when he told us he worked on the animated film Barnyard: The Original Party Animals, we knew we had a winner who would fit right in.
As part of our employment interview, we asked him a few random questions, and then required him to put his responses in code. Okay, we didn’t do that…but that would have been funny. Anyway, here are some fun facts about Marc Anthony:
The Buddy Group: If you could be any animal for a day what would you be?
Marc Anthony: A dragon.
TBG: Good choice. We can use a built-in marshmallow roaster! So, what’s your favorite saying?
MA: If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
TBG: Words to live by, Marc Anthony. Okay, if you’re stranded on a deserted island–what are the three things you must have?
MA: A banana, my dog and a Swiss army knife.
TBG: Interesting. Somehow we think you’d be able to build a computer network out of those three things… without using your dog, of course! Okay, next question: What does your fortune cookie say?
MA: Energy, passion, wisdom–you have it all. Use it!
TBG: Now our final question…What does Buddy Up mean to you?
MA: Buddy Up + Collaborate = The Best of Both Worlds.
Thanks, Marc Anthony. Welcome aboard. We’re glad to have you!
Beth “Extra Mile” Steffen
Senior Account Executive
Beth’s a true pro. She’s always finding ways to make her clients shine in front of their customers—from developing strategic marketing plans for their brands to flawlessly executing events and projects on their behalf. A recent example…Beth attended a trade show for one of our clients (James Hardie). A customer came to the booth and wanted a giveaway bag. Eve
n though the client was out of bags, Beth came to the rescue. She dove into the supply room and found the last reusable James Hardie bag. That’s Beth–always willing to go the extra mile. Here’s more about Beth:
The Buddy Group: If you could be any animal for a day what would you be and why?
Beth Steffen: A cheetah. Then I’d be able to run faster than a ten minute mile.
TBG: We like your competitive spirit! But don’t you already have a ‘cheetah’ named Tiki? (Beth has a feisty cat the size of a medium dog). Okay, so what’s your favorite joke?
B: I’m stumped. Do you have a good one? 
TBG: We’ve never heard of “I’m stumped. Do you have a good one?” Someday after a few drinks, you’ll have to tell us how that one ends. Next question: You’re stranded on a deserted island…what are the three things you must have?
B: Good friends, good music and good fruity drinks.
TBG: Good answer. What does your fortune cookie say?
B: The good you put into the world comes back to you ten-fold.
TBG: Sounds like there’s a lot of “good” in your life! So what does Buddy Up mean to you?
B: Having each other’s back, mutual respect, sharing in each other’s success and picking each other up during challenges.
We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves. Welcome to The Buddy Group, Beth!
Sheyda “Flying High” Lale
Senior Account Executive
Before landing at The Buddy Group, Sheyda worked with a myriad of big-name clients from Gold’s Gym and Mattel to FX Network and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. And while she’s a seasoned Account Executive, what stands out is her personality. You can’t help but like her. Here are about a few facts about Sheyda to help you get to know her better:
The Buddy Group: If you could be any animal for a day what would you be and why?
Sheyda Lale: A bird, because I need to be able to fly high.
TBG: True! Plus, you could get into Disneyland for free! What’s your favorite joke?
SL: Shoot. It’s in Farsi, so I’d need a translator for that!
TBG: Drats…our Farsi translator just quit last week. Here’s an easier question: You’re stranded on a deserted island…what are the three things you must have?
SL: Fire, under eye concealer and faith.
TBG: Great choices. So what does your fortune cookie say?
SL: My future always looks bright, apparently.
TBG: Finally, what does Buddy Up mean to you?
SL: Bringing friendship to all things!
Thanks Sheyda. You’ve come to the right place to fly high!
Jennifer “Multitasking” Madrigal
Office Manager
When you meet Jennifer, one of the first things you notice about her is her easygoing, energetic personality. You’d never guess that outside of work, she’s also a mother to three young boys and she’s earning a Masters of Arts degree in Literature from California Polytechnic University, Pomona. We don’t know how she does it all, but we’re glad to have her at The Buddy Group!
Before joining us, Jennifer worked in the highly respectable academic environment as assistant to the Dean at Riverside Community College. Naturally, we had to ask her what she thought about our camping theme, bunk bed desks and Foosball table. According to Jennifer: “I looked around and thought, wow…this is like a grown man’s playground. How sick. No, I’m totally kidding. Actually, I thought it looked like a really fun place to work. When I was offered the job it was like winning the job lottery and I was SUPER excited to start!!”
To add to Jennifer’s long list of accomplishments, she also holds The Buddy Group’s record for the longest favorite joke. Here goes: “An airline captain was breaking in a new blonde stewardess. The route they were flying had a layover in another city. Upon their arrival, the captain showed the stewardess the best place for airline personnel to eat, shop and stay overnight. The next morning, as the pilot was preparing the crew for the day’s route, he noticed the new stewardess was missing. He knew which room she was in at the hotel and called her up wondering what happened. She answered the phone, crying, and said she couldn’t get out of her room.”You can’t get out of your room?” the captain asked, “Why not?” The stewardess replied: “There are only three doors in here,” she sobbed, “one is the bathroom, one is the closet, and one has a sign on it that says ‘Do Not Disturb’!”
That’s a good one, Jennifer! Keep the blonde jokes coming!
With even more happy campers on board and lots of exciting things in the works, we’re looking forward to a great 2010, Part 2 at The Buddy Group!!
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e Buddy Group: What’s something that not a lot of people know about you but you wish more people could know?
Now we had no idea we would be hiring such a genius when we interviewed Michael, but when said he “told Al Gore to invent the Internet,” we knew we had a winner! Michael has over 19 years in advertising & marketing, specializing in interactive campaigns, so all jokes a side, we knew he would be a great addition to TBG. One thing we didn’t know is we would be getting a 2-for-1 deal because Michael Todd is quite the comedian! So scroll on down and enjoy a few jokes on Michael.
Tim’s true love is Flash design, but don’t tell his wife! He loves making things interactive, creating engaging movement and pushing the envelope as far as it can go with interesting user experiences. This was one of the many reasons we felt he was a great fit for our development team. No Tim, it has nothing to do with all the amazing baked goods your wife has you bring in – honest! So what makes Tim so special? Is it his tiger-like 3-year-old that he counts as both his son and his pet? Or maybe it’s the fact that home is where his heart is because “nothing beats taking a vacation [at home] and having absolutely NOTHING to do.” It could be the fact that he truly knows the meaning of Buddy Up, making him a team player and perfect fit with our campers. Either way we are glad to have Tim aboard!
nickname! Yup, you read right. Mr. Jae Lee does not have a nickname, so it became our job to come together and give him that everlasting tag name that some wish would go away! So far we have Thundercat, (TBG has no comment as to how this came about at this time,) but are still open to any other suggestions. Here are a few other things about Jae that you may not know:
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