Spring 2019

IN THIS ISSUE: MORRISON’S NEW LOOK ICYMI: Morrison has a

fresh

new

look.

Read more about our rebranding process, the changes we’ve made, and the changes to come!

Photo by Joy Prouty

GETTING TO KNOW DEAN PRITCHETT Learn

more

FIVE MARYS FARMS Drawing the attention of Al Roker, Carhartt,

of

and Oprah Magazine, Five Marys Farms

MaryJane, and MaryTeresa.

has built a strong fan base for high-quality

about

farm-raised meat. Their unique family story

Morrison’s Interim/

resonates with celebrities, clothing brands,

Outsource Consultant, Dean Pritchett.

LEADING A TEAM TO HIGH PERFORMANCE Shawn Miller discusses effective leadership and team participation.

THE PETS OF MORRISON

and consumers alike.

Brian and Mary Heffernan, and their four daughters—all named Mary—raise Angus beef cattle, heritage hogs, Navajo-Churro sheep, and egg-laying chickens on their rural Fort Jones, California farm, shipping their farm-raised meat direct to customers’ doorsteps.

Marys:

MaryFrances,

MaryMarjorie,

As restauranteurs, the Heffernans were deeply involved in sourcing meat for their menus and eventually decided to explore raising beef for their restaurants themselves.

In late 2013, the Heffernans found and bought the historic Sharps Gulch ranch. Hoping to be both restaurant owners and ranchers, they drove north to the cows on the weekends. In June of 2014, the family made the decision to move to the ranch full-time and made Fort Jones the home of Five Marys Farms,

When Brian and Mary Heffernan first met,

reconnecting with their past family legacy of

Brian worked as an attorney for a large law

farming. The family also renewed their role

firm and Mary ran a successful tutoring

as restauranteurs, opening and running Five

business. Once married, the couple opened

Marys Burgerhouse in Fort Jones.

We’d like to introduce

two restaurants in Los Altos. They made a

you to the furry friends

home in the Bay Area, starting their family

CONTINUED ON INSIDE LEFT PANEL

of Morrison.

GONE PHISHING Consultant

Amanda

Bullock discusses the dangers of email scams and the safety practices to avoid them.

CLIENT CORNER See what’s new with Morrison’s clients.

WWW.MORRISONCO.NET

NEWSLETTER | SPRING 2019

CO VER STORY, CONTINUED

FIVE MARYS FARMS Significant to the success of the farm has

Morrison was blessed to assist Five Marys

been the family’s ability to connect with

Farms

consumers via Instagram. Today, Five Marys

Department

Farms has more than 100,000 followers on

Producer

the social media platform. Mary posts up to

resulted in a $250,000 award to the family

a half-dozen photos or videos a day, sharing

business, which is being leveraged with

live feeds when the family is delivering

matching funds to further the family’s

piglets, loading hay bales on a trailer to feed

marketing efforts. Check out their day-to-day

their cows, or bottle feeding orphaned lambs.

happenings on Instagram at fivemarysfarms

The Heffernans host a number of farm stay retreats throughout the year. In these Mary trains and empowers fellow small business owners to build and grow their own businesses, with workshops and online

Photo by Joy Prouty

with

a of

Grant

successful

United

Agriculture proposal.

States

Value-Added The

proposal

and visit shopfivemarys.com to order a rack of lamb, tomahawk steak, or bacon. We’re looking

forward

to

grilling

some

Five

Marys Farms burgers at our next Morrison company BBQ!

courses.

Honoring the Memory of

MORRISON’S NEW LOOK!

BENNETT RIFFEL

From celebrating our 17th anniversary to

membership at the start of the New Year, but

We are heartbroken over the loss of our

rebranding, 2019 has proven an exciting time

these are just the obvious changes we have

friend, Bennett Riffel. Bennett and his

for Morrison. Having worked diligently with

made since our last rebranding nearly a decade

brother Melvin were among those killed

the folks at MC2 on a rebranding project, we

ago. MC2 conducted a survey and marketing

in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March

are excited to roll out our new look. Gone are

study to help Morrison better understand

10th.

the days of our trusty “Flying M” logo, as we

what we do well and where we can improve.

so fondly called it. Soon we will have new

With that, we are planning additional service

Morrison swag, updated marketing material,

offerings, improved website content, and

and a redesigned website.

better outreach materials.

It’s not just our logo that’s changing, but

The end result is a little like a cell phone

problem, the answer was always “Call

a change in our operating name as well.

software update. Your current software works

Bennett.” Bennett had a way of putting

Dropping “& Company” allowed us much

just fine, but the latest update brings you new

our problems into perspective whenever

more leeway in our logo redesign, but also

apps, faster connectivity, or even a few new

we had a technical melt down. It was

keeps us in line with today’s trends for

emojis. Like a software update, we want to

evident in his work how brilliant he

professional services firms (think “Deloitte”

show you an improved version of Morrison.

was, yet he always remained humble. He

vs. “Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu”). “Morrison”

That is why we have chosen to rebrand, and

treated everyone equally, regardless of

has been the one constant in our name in our

while the project is far from over, the one

their position. There are people in this

17 years in business and allows us to remain

thing that won’t be changing is our dedication

world whose kindness leaves a mark.

recognizable.

to our clients and offering the best services

Bennett was one of those people.

Changing our name, logo, and website might

Bennett was our assigned technician through our IT firm, VistaNet Inc., but he truly was a member of the Morrison Team. When we had an IT question or

available in our niches.

Bennett’s

brother

leaves

behind

his

wife and unborn baby. Please consider

sound like we’ve simply signed up for a gym

supporting them by donating to: www. gofundme.com/f/support-brittney-andbaby-riffel

2002

2009

2019

LEADING A TEAM TO

HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM

NOUN

\ tēm \ 1. A diverse group of people functioning in a healthy environment producing results exponentially greater than an individual contributor.

2. A group of flakes snowballing into disaster.

Over the course of our careers, we have

share a thought or disagree with an idea is

The ability to navigate also involves the

no

the moment that much of the benefit of the

ability to keep the team on track. This is the

team approach is lost. If team members feel

most difficult aspect of team leadership, and

they need to constantly think about how their

where a majority of teams fail. There must

contribution will be perceived and continually

be very clear and concise expectations and

assess the politics in the room, the leader

well communicated criteria for success, and

has failed to create a trusting environment.

a leader must ensure that everyone is held

Political intrigue has no place on a team or in

accountable for their contribution. The team

the mind of a team leader.

should be rewarded for how they perform

doubt

seen

both

of

the

definitions

above realized.

A well-constructed team of people with diverse skills, experience, and perspective will accomplish tasks and solve problems with amazing effectiveness and efficiency.

The difference between an effective team and an incompetent one is often the leader.

Applying a few principles to team leadership can almost guarantee success.

PRINCIPLE 1: BE HUMBLE, MAKE PERSONAL SACRIFICES, AND INSTILL TRUST. This principle relates primarily to who the leader is. A humble leader credits the team for success and takes personal responsibility for shortcomings. A genuinely humble leader highly values others’ individual contributions and regards the collective thoughts higher in

as a team. If they are held accountable as

PRINCIPLE 2: MAKE A GENUINE PERSONAL CONNECTION. This principle is primarily relational. We work best with people whom we have connected

performance evaluation. Not everyone will

individuals. That level of connection does not

make an equal contribution, and not everyone

need to be the same with everyone, it simply

plays as well with others as they should.

must exist for everyone. And by the way, if it’s

When a member falls short, the leader must

not genuine they will know it before you do.

have the courage to deal with the individual

we

have

and address the issues early. Individuals

A leader’s ability to navigate is the ability to

and contributions, they are simply willing

move the team toward the accomplishment

to sacrifice their own equally effective ideas

of a goal. The leader must be familiar with

and place greater value on the collective

the terrain and have credibility in the area in

contribution of the group. They recognize

which the team is working. They must know

that most (though not all) of the best ideas

what success looks like and know how to

come from others.

guide progress. That does not mean the leader

and discussed without bias or pre-conceived judgements. The moment people hesitate to

performance most of the time.

genuine care and concern for who they are as

when

they don’t see value in their own thoughts

and thoughts should be freely volunteered

peer pressure will self-regulate individual There should also be an individual aspect to

and

PRINCIPLE 3: NAVIGATE.

environment of trust. Team member’s ideas

accountable as individuals. A form of positive

demonstrated

with,

value than their own. That does not mean that

The leader must be trustworthy and create an

a team, they will tend to hold themselves

should also be rewarded for exceptional contributions.

Lastly, a good navigator fosters healthy conflict. Conflict exists on every team, and if it’s not readily visible, it must be uncovered.

Hidden conflict undermines performance.

It will surface in some form, either through a dramatic emotional outburst or simply

must be the subject matter expert on every

through a team failing in their endeavor.

aspect. In fact, its best that they are not, as

A team is a collection of people just like

it will force the leader to rely on the expertise of the individuals. The genius of collective individual contributions is what allows the team to find the best path to success.

us, flawed and fickle, and success is never guaranteed, but the application of a few simple common sense principles goes far in achieving an exceptional result.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Principal Shawn Miller manages Morrison’s

planning, HR compliance and best practices

specializing in manufacturing and assembly,

People

Shawn

advisement, and other people related services.

quality

leadership

training,

He has over 15 years’ experience in human

planning. You can contact Shawn directly at

development,

strategic

resources management, as well as over 10

smiller@morrisonco.net or via telephone at

planning, executive recruiting, compensation

years’ experience in operations management,

(530) 809-4680.

Solutions

specializes organizational

in

business

line.

and

compliance,

and

production

INTR O D U C I N G :

THE PETS OF MORRISON Our team members have furbabies of all shapes and sizes, and we just love to show them off. From a 13 week old puppy to a 17 year old cat, and from bunnies to Old English Sheepdogs, we run the gamut! Can you guess who belongs to each of our team members? See the bottom of the back cover for the answers.

D. ADIDAS

E. LILY

I. DODGER & MAGGIE MAE

J. DUKE

A. CHANCE

B. GOOBER

C. EDISON

F. BISHOP

G. CADE

H. BELLA & SHUBERT

K. BRIE

L. HOLLEN

M. BELLA

G O N E PHISHING “The boss needs 100 $20 gift cards…but keep it a secret!”

Does the email sound like the sender?

is, the easier it is to spot the oddball payment

Bad grammar, misspellings, or writing

requests.

If this line sounds familiar, your company

not be who you think.

may have been targeted by the latest

differently than their norm indicates it may

The best thing you can do is educate and empower your employees. Often AP staff are

Was this message expected? If you get a

trained to process bills quickly, but they can

request for payment with a sense of urgency,

head off unusual requests by knowing what

does it follow the normal course of business

“normal” activity looks like. If the request

scam is in the news, and while you’ll never

or does it seem strange?

seems abnormal, encourage your people to

be able to completely eliminate them from

If in doubt, check it out! Don’t reply to the

phishing scam. Scammers are getting more creative all the time, and it’s working for them. It seems like every day another email

infiltrating your inbox, you can help your employees be more alert. Below, you’ll find tips to help you avoid being the next victim.

Check who sent it. Mouse over the sender’s email address and a small window will pop up with the actual address. Often spammers use bogus emails masked as legit contacts to trick the recipient.

Check hyperlinks. The first tip also works with hyperlinks. Never click on a link in an unfamiliar email.

email, instead pick up the phone and call the

speak up. You may save yourselves from being caught up in the middle of a phishing attack.

sender before you take any action.

Google it. If you are still unsure, google it to see if it’s a known scam. You may be

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

surprised to learn you aren’t the only one

Amanda Bullock, CPA, is a Consultant on

that was targeted.

the Morrison Interim/Outsource Team,

Implement dual controls. A second set of eyes can provide a layer of protection for the organization.

focusing on management, finance and accounting

efficiency,

cost

controls,

feasibility studies, and short- and longrange planning. You can contact Amanda

Standardize the payment process. The more

directly at abullock@morrisonco.net or

standardized the accounts payable process

at (530) 809-4679.

TEAM MEMBER PROFILE

GETTING TO KNOW

DEAN PRITCHETT Q&A WITH DEAN W HAT ’S T HE B ES T P I EC E OF A D VI C E YOU’V E E V E R BE E N GI VEN? “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” No single piece of wise advice has given me more peace than this quote from Jesus. Its helped ease burdens that have weighed on me while also allowing me to focus on what’s in front of me.

W HAT W OU LD B E YOU R S U P ERP OW ER AND WH Y ?

Easy, teleportation. No more air travel is too good to pass up.

A S A C HI LD, W HAT D I D YOU WA NT TO BE WH E N YOU GREW U P ?

As a member of Morrison’s Interim/Outsource team Dean brings more

An astronaut. I’ve always been fascinated with space as a

than a decade of professional accounting experience to the team having

frontier, not unlike the West in the 1800’s. If they make

served a wide variety of industries including controller-level and advisory

space travel commercial in my lifetime, I’ll probably go.

positions. His focus has included management of accounting functions, accounting and business impact of business decisions, internal control structures, financial reporting and audit preparation, and multi-entity accounting and consolidation.

Prior to joining Morrison, Dean spent six years in public accounting, four of which were with the West Coast regional accounting firm Macias, Gini, & O’connell LLP (MGO). Dean later served as Senior Assistant Controller for Oracle Corporation, then as Accounting Director for RevLove LLC. Dean holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Pennsylvania State University, and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

W HAT M OS T I NT ERES T S YOU A B OU T MORRISON? The people, both the team and our clients. I’ve never worked at a place where the people who work there care so much about serving clients well. Not to mention that in my time here, Morrison seems to attract clients that really want guidance to make real, long lasting improvements in their organization. That attitude makes it all the easier to want to help them and earn their trust, as we do our best to advise them.

W HAT ’S T HE S C A RI ES T T HI NG YOU ’VE E V E R DONE ?

I used to travel internationally a lot for work. On my first trip abroad I went to the Middle East and a need came up for the team I was working with to visit an office in one of the Palestinian areas of Israel. I ended up going with another guy who had never been overseas before.

It was a wild journey leaving Jordan, crossing the border into Israel, convincing the border agents we were going to this area of Israel for legitimate business, getting a cab with a driver who barely spoke English, and then getting back. Except for a stop at a checkpoint, everything went pretty smoothly, but it was quite the adventure for two American boys far from home.

W HAT ’S YOU R FAVORI T E T RA D I T I ON OR H OLIDAY ?

Christmas. It’s great! Who doesn’t love Christmas?

W HAT I S YOU R FAVORI T E M OVI E OR BOOK? Die Hard. It’s my favorite Christmas movie. Like I said, who doesn’t love Christmas?

PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

10 Landing Circle, Suite 5 Chico, California 95973

PERMIT #1833 CHICO,CA

PHONE: 530.893.4764 • FAX: 530.893.4978

INTERIM/OUTSOURCE • PL ANNING & FE A SIBILIT Y PEOPLE SOLUTIONS • RECRUITMENT • GR ANTS FOLLOW US

C L I E N T CORNER The Morrison Client Corner is a regular feature of our newsletter.

If you’re a client of ours, we’d love to stay up to date with what is going

Here, you’ll find updates on what a number of our clients are up to,

on within your organization and invite you to share your highlights

their achievements and milestones, and the generally great things

in this space. Feel free to send any press releases, newsletters, or

happening in their companies or organizations.

happenings to Michelle at MGenova@morrisonco.net.

RANCHO LLANO SECO FEATURED IN DELI MARKET NEWS Rancho Llano Seco’s Charlie Thierot was

recently

interviewed

by

Deli

Market

News.

The

article details the Rancho’s history, local and sustainablysourced food, and goals for the future. To learn more about Rancho Llano Seco or links to the article, please visit: www.llanoseco.com/pages/press

CITY OF WILLOWS BREAKS GROUND The

City

of

Willows

has

broken ground on The North

SAVE THE DATE FOR AGROMILLORA’S ANNUAL GROWER DAY!

Valley Commercial Center (NVCC). Located on Interstate 5

Speakers – Lunch – Vendors – Tours

residential and commercial services. The NVCC’s commercial

May 10th, 2019 at 9:00 am

aspect will serve as a major resource to businesses who utilize

RSVP: events@agromillora-ca.com or call (530) 846-0404

transportation along Interstate 5. To learn more about the NVCC

612 E Gridley Rd. Gridley, CA 95948

and the services provided, please visit northvalleycc.com

and Highway 99W in Willows, the NVCC will provide both

WELCOME NEW CLIENTS

Answer Key for The Pets of Morrison A: Toni Scott. B: Brent Morrison. C: Amanda Bullock. D: Shawn Miller. E: Tim Peters. F: Janae Prentice. G: Daniel Paulsen. H: Hilary Tricerri.

I: Michelle Genova. J: Jesse Converse. K: Shawn Miller. L: Shawn Miller. M: Hilary Tricerri.

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NEWSLETTER | SPRING 2019