Each year Cobalt recognizes some of its best in the President’s Club, a selection of the best salespeople over the last year, and sends them to an exotic location. While there, they provide input into the company’s direction as well as relax and enjoy some well-earned luxury. For 2010, Cobalt sent 22 salespeople from both Cobalt and Dealix on a Hawaiian cruise in April, on the Pride of America cruise-liner. Two days of strategy workshops with executives were combined with recognition and recreation. Here are a few reactions from those who were there.
Bill, a Cobalt salesman based in the Seattle home office and a repeat President’s Club honoree, said “I am extremely fortunate to have made President’s Club four times and cruising the Hawaiian Islands was by far the best! Cobalt does a terrific job of making us feel appreciated, and the result is more focus and dedication. It’s also a great time to build relationships with other successful reps and company leadership… The Pride of America was awesome. They had to break down the door to my stateroom to get me off the boat.”
Cassie, a Dealix saleswoman, also enjoyed her experience. “Being a part of this year’s President’s Club was an honor and an experience I will never forget,” she said. “My favorite part of the trip was seeing everyone from Dealix and meeting the folks from Cobalt, being with the best of the best. I’d be lying if I didn’t agree that the views from the cruise ship and the experiences we all shared were fantastic. There were many times my husband and I sat on our balcony, looking at the view, talking 
about what an amazing opportunity it was for us to be there in that moment.”
Cami, a business operations analyst in Cobalt’s Seattle office, was selected specifically as the honorary winner for 2009, as someone who worked with Sales regularly and helped them throughout the year. “President’s Club was such a great experience, and I’d like to thank the 2009 President’s Club members for electing me in! I was so honored to be recognized by the team,” said Cami. “My husband and I had so much fun and enjoyed spending time with the President’s Club members and their spouses. All of the islands were beautiful (and warm!!!) but our favorite is still Kauai.”
The executives on the trip valued the opportunity to work directly with the company’s top performers to understand areas for improvement and opportunity.
Earning a place in the President’s Club is a goal that any Cobalt salesperson can achieve, and Cassie has some advice for those looking to meet the high standards. Among her recommendations, she says, “Don’t ever stop giving it your all!”
Being the best may not be easy, but for those who make it at Cobalt, it does have its rewards. Congratulations to this year’s President’s Club!
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Two Days, Two Wheels, and 202 Miles of Road
July 16, 2010 — aspeyerExpect to see many intrepid cyclists attempting the ride this weekend, as the Cascade Bicycle Club’s 31st Annual Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (STP) begins on Saturday, July 17. Procare Team Manager Josh Dand is looking forward to being one of many who pedal their way through 202 miles of valleys, farmland, and mountains.
Dand’s biking journey didn’t begin with STP, which is expected to draw 10,000 cyclists.
“When I [worked in] Seattle, I never biked,” he said; but when he was transferred to Cobalt’s Lynnwood office, and his coworker, Senior Account Advocate Raul Sedano, invited him to take a bike ride. They started cycling together at lunchtime around Edmonds and Lynnwood, which inspired Dand to start biking to work. He now averages around 120 miles every week, riding four days out of five, enough to “recognize coworkers by their bike racks.”
“The 30 mile road trip is a great way to begin my day,” he said. “[I can] decompress and work off stress.” Bicycling has helped bring him closer to his officemates. Dand, Sedano, and fellow first-time STP rider Robert Allen will be doing the STP together. Sedano is a veteran of the event; this year marks his seventh STP ride!
“It’s something I wanted to do for past couple of years,” he said. “I can’t believe I’m about to do it; I’m feeling pretty well on my way. I just had a bike tune-up, got a new chain, and [my] legs are feeling strong, nice and spry now.”
Spots go quick, with cyclists from all over America and the world vying for entry. Dand got extremely lucky with late registration and “wasted five minutes of company time” waiting in a virtual line.
Those five minutes paid off, as he now prepares to start at 7:30am on Saturday at the University of Washington. He and Sedano plan to bike around 105 miles before settling in for the night at a Chehalis campground around five or six o’clock. Every ten miles, rest stops with free food, water, bathrooms, and bike repair will be available. Along the way the bicyclists will cross rivers, climb 30 miles of hills, and ride in the shadow of Mt. St Helens.
“You can’t see it in a car. [The STP] is like a party on wheels,” Dand said in anticipation for the scenic beauty of Western Washington countryside
On Sunday, they will cross the finish line at Holladay Park and possibly attend the Finish Line Festival is at the end of each ride-day. Sedano and Dand will either stay the night, or drive back to Seattle that evening.
Dand is a machine that doesn’t seem to ever stop running. When asked if he would relax at all after this superhuman feat, he mentioned a massage on Monday and a little rest, quickly adding that he hopes this event “leads to more.”
The next time you drive down to Portland on business, imagine Dand doing it the hard way and scaling the same distance on two wheels instead of four.
Good luck to all three this weekend. Have fun, guys!
Margaret Kahn
Guest Writer
The Cobalt Group
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