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