Micro Tech's online newsletter for February 2018
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February 2018
Keri, MY HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART AND VALENTINE FOR LIFE
Ever since I met my beautiful wife, Keri, more than 27 years ago, she’s been a constant source of love, strength, and guidance in my life. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, but I’m not sure we’ll have much time to do anything other than maybe eat some tasty food and hang out with the kids. Still, the holiday is the perfect time to take a moment to recognize just how lucky I am to have such an incredibly warm and caring person in my corner and to reflect on how we ended up together in the first place. Back when I was a junior attending Centennial High School, I was your typical semi-shy guy. So, one day, when Keri — the new girl who’d just moved to Idaho from Nebraska — strolled into class, I definitely took notice, but I couldn’t quite muster the courage to ask her out. “Oh, wow,” I thought to myself, “Who’s this?” In retrospect, I should have actually asked her this question instead of just wondering it, but I missed my chance. Unsurprisingly, there were other guys pining after her, and she ended up dating some other kid for a while.
Over the next couple months, I would sometimes glance over at her while she was playing, impressed by her powerful shots, and, of course, her sheer attractiveness. I got to chatting with her during brief periods of downtime and learned that, miraculously, she was single once again. In March of 1990, I finally got the guts to ask her if she wanted to be my girlfriend. We didn’t know each other all that well then, but somehow, it didn’t matter, and she said yes. We dated all the way through college at Boise State, with only a couple of hiccups along the way. Once or twice, she threatened to break up with me during what I call my “rough and rowdy days,” but I refused to let it happen. Though, it’s worth saying, with a will as strong as hers, if she had really wanted to call it quits, it certainly would’ve happened. I waited until after we were just out of college to propose and tried for weeks to figure out the best, most elaborate way to do it. But one day, after she called me on her way home from work about 15 minutes out, I had a sudden flash of inspiration. At the time, we had a really well-trained hunting dog, a Lab named Jock. I set out a meandering path of dog treats and had Keri follow Jock as he cleaned up the trail. The last one was under the couch, and as she reached under to grab it, she found the ring waiting. When she turned around, I was on my knee, asking if she’d spend the rest of her life with me. Though it may not be the most thrilling “how we met” story, it’s ours, and I’m so grateful everything worked out the way it did. Particularly, I’m glad I built up enough courage to ask my crush out all those years back in high school. Keri is levelheaded, genuine, easygoing, and invested in the lives of everyone she cares about, and it’s impossible to imagine a better valentine.
In those days, sports often occupied an entire class period during the day in addition to after-
“I’m glad I built up enough courage to askmy crush out all those years back in high school.”
school practices. By chance, I ended
up as the teacher’s
aide for the tennis coach, smack dab in the
middle of midday tennis practice. Basically, I was the
water boy, literally filling up these massive water jugs and lugging them out to the courts whenever they went empty. And lo and behold, there was Keri, tearing it up on the court.
–Randy Amorebieta
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Start With Big Ideas A meeting should be a forum for hashing out concerns and tackling big-picture concepts. If you’re listing off a slew of granular changes, those aren’t
Ask yourself, “What are the biggest time wasters in my
social media and meetings are on your list. Maybe there’s a way you can eliminate social media from your office or, at least, curtail its use. However, meetings are an essential part of effective workplace communication. The question, then, isn’t how to get rid of meetings, but rather how to make them more efficient. With that in mind, here are a few tips for getting the most out of your meetings. Have a Game Plan If you don’t have a reason for a meeting, don’t have a meeting. Weekly meetings can be a great way to catch your staff up on the latest news and issues at the office, but there’s no need to make them the same length of time every week. You should never feel like you need to fill a certain number of minutes. Instead, get to the heart of what you’re talking about, allow the staff to ask questions, and then get back to work. Allow Exceptions There’s no surer way to make an attendee anxious than pulling them away from an important task. Nobody should skip out on a meeting simply because they don’t want to go. If, however, their time could be more wisely spent, you shouldn’t force them to attend. Prioritize who needs to be at the meeting and whose time could be better used elsewhere.
Make Your Meetings Matter Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Time
the ingredients for a productive meeting. Information like that can be disseminated in other forms. As you discuss a larger concern, details relating to it will arise during your discussion. Ask yourself if the meeting has a larger topic that merits discussion.
Engage Your Participants
A meeting should be just that. If you’re not expecting collaboration, don’t call it a meeting. Tell your staff you’re giving a presentation and they’ll
come ready to take notes. But if you want to actually have a meeting, every participant should come ready and willing to engage with the ideas on the table.
FEBRUARY Testimonials “I’ve worked with MicroTech Systems for several years now. They manage the IT infrastructure for my two companies. This includes servers, desktops, laptops, software, and the licenses and accounts for the hosted services I utilize. The entire staff is professional and trustworthy, and the pricing is fair and reasonable. I recommend MicroTech regularly and definitely recommend them here.” –Dylan
“The level of service our company receives from MicroTech Systems has exceeded my expectations. The personal service that I receive as a client is exceptional. I appreciate the time they take to review my account with me frequently. Service calls are responded to quickly and efficiently. MicroTech Systems was instrumental in the development and implementation of our cybersecurity plan. My job is easier knowing that I can pick up the phone and they will resolve any concern I have or respond with resolutions in a timely fashion.” –Walter W.
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The 5 Points of Data Security
3. An Industry-Standard Antivirus Program This software will constantly scan your system for suspicious and malicious code that exists in its database. Do note that at MicroTech, we absolutely do not believe in using a free antivirus to protect your business network. Such solutions don’t even meet basic PCI compliance standards. Shouldn’t that be a minimum requirement for protecting the longevity of your company? 4. Educate End Users Training your employees to sniff out and avoid malicious software, especially in the form of phishing, is the No. 1 way you can stave off a data breach. Unfortunately, it’s also the most difficult to implement. Give your team a crash course on the nature of phishing and red flags for suspicious emails. Also, ensure they avoid high-risk websites like gambling or movie- and music-sharing sites. 5. Backups, Backups, and More Backups A comprehensive backup strategy is a must, period. The choice is whether you’ll do an image-based backup, which stores the system in its entirety, saving quickly multiple times per day; a file-based backup, which saves specific files; or keep your backup in storage on the premises, on- or offline.
Today, ransomware is more prevalent than ever. Every day, small businesses across the country are attacked by malicious hackers. After penetrating the network — often through an employee clicking a cleverly disguised phishing email pretending to be a communication from a trusted member of the team — these cybercriminals block the entirety of the network’s data through complex encryption methods. Then they demand a steep ransom, usually thousands of dollars, for the safe return of the company’s data. Preventing these attacks may seem impossible, but there are ways to combat them before they become a serious problem. Here are five key points you’ll need to have on lockdown to prevent intruders from invading your network. 1. An Industry Standard Firewall Make sure you have a firewall that continually scans traffic. Among other key functions, this will serve as the gatekeeper for your network, opening and closing ports as necessary, and determining whether incoming emails are really what they claim to be. 2. Consistent Windows and Software Updates Regularly updating your operating system may seem tedious, but it’s key for your business’s digital security. Enable auto-updates for Windows and any software you regularly use, and be sure to download patches and updates as soon as they become available.
Have a Laugh!
Bacon-Wrapped TATER TOT BOMBS
Sure, your showoff pal can wrap a tater tot with a piece of bacon and call it “The Daniel,” but you can take it a step further. Prepare a couple batches of these savory snacks for your Super Bowl party or the next family get-together. Snag a few for yourself before they disappear!
Ingredients
•
2 cups frozen tater tots, defrosted 1 ounce sharp cheddar, cut into 1/4-inch squares
• • •
4 slices bacon, quartered 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
•
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 2. Press a cheese square into each tot, then wrap with a piece of bacon. Dredge each tot in brown sugar.
3. Place tots seam side down on baking sheet. Bake for 20–25 minutes, using metal tongs to turn halfway through. 4. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.
(Recipe inspired by ThisGrandmaIsFun.com.)
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Inside
How Randy Met Keri
Make Your Meetings Matter
February Testimonials
5 Ways to Protect Your Business From Cyberattacks Not Sure What to Bring to the Super Bowl Party?
Do You Have the Success Gene?
‘Grit’
DISCOVERING TRUE
If you’ve ever been told you won’t succeed because you lack talent, bring a copy of “Grit” to your next meeting. While teaching high school math, author Angela Duckworth noticed some of her highest-achieving students weren’t the ones with the highest IQs, while some of her “smartest” students weren’t doing all that well in class. “Why?” she wondered. She followed her curiosity to Penn State’s psychology program. There, she studied several demographics, including cadets at West Point, young teachers, and sales representatives. After numerous psychological studies, Duckworth discovered that “grit” was the common denominator in successful people. Duckworth defines grit as “passion and perseverance for very long-term goals.” People who display grit don’t start a project and abandon it a month later. They devote themselves to an overarching goal that drives everything they do. She explained that someone who practices grit goes through life like a marathon, not a sprint. Perhaps most instructive is Duckworth’s equation (she was a math teacher, after all): Talent x effort = skill. Skill x effort = achievement.
“Effort counts twice” could be the battle cry of grit. Gritty people are willing to put in the extra effort to achieve their goals, and that’s what helps them reach their goals if they don’t have innate talent. While this provides a strong case that those born with grit will succeed, grit doesn’t factor luck and opportunity into the equation, something that Duckworth is transparent about in her book. She says those who aren’t born with grit can develop it in four simple steps. First, identify an interest that can blossom into a passion. Second, practice that passion , a lot. Third, develop the belief that your
passion has purpose. While it’s not an overnight transformation, these guidelines can at least give us hope, which is the fourth step: Hold on to hope that you can succeed. Our biggest takeaway from “Grit”? Look at failures as milestones on the journey to success. Getting gritty means failing and learning from it. Any of us can get gritty if we’re willing to put in a little elbow grease.
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