Enter a room of people in a professional setting or a casual environment and inevitably the question will be posed, “What do you do?” My response, “I have the BEST career in the world because I teach people how to perfect confidence!” And, that really is how I feel – day in and day out!

I vividly remember while taking a break from my corporate role in the Australian aviation industry, I traveled to France with my niece Olivia to attend an immersion course at the prestigious Institut de Français. In the small coastal resort town of Villefranche-sur-Mer in the heart of the French Riviera. Overlooking the Mediterranean a deep soak in the French language was a brilliant change from the rigors of corporate life. But it was the unexpected connection that happened next that provided the catalyst for the real change in my journey to creating and launching the Sydney School of Protocol.

When I was a university fundraising director and a nonprofit development manager, I hosted hundreds of business dinners and cocktail hours. Over the years, I came to the disturbing realization that many guests feel awkward at these events, because they were never taught people skills.

During a discussion of “sense of purpose and calling”, I proclaimed to a dear friend that I wanted to help restore and strengthen grace in our nation. I didn’t know then just how I was going to accomplish this, however everyday experiences were generously presented to me, in the form of observations that reinforced why I wanted to make a difference in the areas of etiquette and protocol.

In the spring of 1997, I received a call from an Air Force colleague, Monica Earley, sharing her experience after attending The Protocol School of Washington’s (PSOW) Train to be a Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant training program. I was the Deputy Director for the headquarters protocol office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

National Business Etiquette Week (June 5 - 12, 2016) starts tomorrow. Brooke Peterson was our winner of last year's "What will business etiquette look like in 2025?" video contest. As the winner, she received a complimentary tuition to our 5-day Train to be a Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant course for which she attended in November 2015. We took a few minutes to reconnect with her on her experience with PSOW.

In honor of National Business Etiquette Week (June 5-11, 2016), The Protocol School of Washington is seeking to soften the current political climate by asking, "How can political candidates run on respect and put civility back into politics?" and sponsoring a "Vote For Me" Contest to win a complimentary tuition ($6,800.00/$8,800.00 value) to any scheduled 2016 Train to be a Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant Course.

Project-management systems maker Workfront asked working women to identify the biggest obstacle in obtaining the perfect work/life balance. The leading answer from all respondents was “bad bosses.” A bad boss can certainly make life difficult for working women, especially if the chief is particularly demanding, lacking in empathy or has no interest in the long-term happiness of her employees. But what happens if you are the boss, the CEO, or the captain of your own company? How do women who have worked so hard to get to the top make sure they maintain a balanced life between their job and their personal lives?

Cathy Heyne is the winner of our National Protocol Officer Week "Protocol Emergency" contest with her entry exploring “Tips to Build Strong Relationships Abroad: Your Global Health Treatment Plan for Success!” As partner and managing director for marketing and development for Living Abroad, an extensive online database of business and cultural intelligence in regards to international relocation, Cathy has done business with a variety of people from all walks of life, and in nearly every part of the world.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, today’s average professional in America only stays in a position for about four and a half years. For companies large and small, that means there are a lot of new employees coming in and out of the personnel department’s door. During my years in the private and public sector, I have heard stories both good and bad about the “first day on the job” and how important it is in helping an employee achieve early and lasting success.

Protocol is the fine art and science of facilitating events for people of different cultures to find common purpose, engage strategic and sensitive issues, and create relationships and memories for a lifetime.

Annual Protocol Check Up: Take time to take care … of you! As a protocol officer, you are always taking care of others— THE trusted adviser who plans and orchestrates international VIP visits, meetings, ceremonies and special events for military, government, academia and the business world. You have a multitude of responsibilities and demands with a nonstop job that includes long hours, lack of sleep and constant stress. In honor of all that you do to make everyone else’s life easier, for once, let’s turn the focus back on YOU! It’s time for your Annual Protocol Check-up where you take time to take care of yourself. Follow the protocol doctor’s orders to ensure you stay healthy and in shape throughout the year.

Annual Protocol Check Up: Take time to take care … of you! As a protocol officer, you are always taking care of others— THE trusted adviser who plans and orchestrates international VIP visits, meetings, ceremonies and special events for military, government, academia and the business world. You have a multitude of responsibilities and demands with a nonstop job that includes long hours, lack of sleep and constant stress. In honor of all that you do to make everyone else’s life easier, for once, let’s turn the focus back on YOU! It’s time for your Annual Protocol Check-up where you take time to take care of yourself. Follow the protocol doctor’s orders to ensure you stay healthy and in shape throughout the year.

Annual Protocol Check Up: Take time to take care … of you! As a protocol officer, you are always taking care of others— THE trusted adviser who plans and orchestrates international VIP visits, meetings, ceremonies and special events for military, government, academia and the business world. You have a multitude of responsibilities and demands with a nonstop job that includes long hours, lack of sleep and constant stress. In honor of all that you do to make everyone else’s life easier, for once, let’s turn the focus back on YOU! It’s time for your Annual Protocol Check-up where you take time to take care of yourself. Follow the protocol doctor’s orders to ensure you stay healthy and in shape throughout the year.

After following PSOW activities through Facebook and LinkedIn for a couple of years, Olivera Tatalovic was aware of the National Protocol Week tradition and decided to give herself a chance to join the school by entering the tuition contest last year. After reviewing entries from around the world, Olivera was selected as our 2015 winner. She graciously agreed to share with us her own thoughts on why protocol is such an important topic.

In honor of National Protocol Officer Week (March 27 – April 2, 2016), The Protocol School of Washington is sponsoring a “Protocol Emergency Contest” for a student to win a complimentary tuition ($6800.00 value) to any 2016 scheduled Protocol Officer Training.

Stop telling yourself that you don’t remember names, and start telling yourself “I’m good at remembering names.” This statement, repeated often enough, can counteract any negative message about not remembering names.

As extraordinarily successful as women have been in reaching new heights in today’s workplace, we still have work to do. The Council of Economic Advisers 2014 report shows that females earn 78 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts. Many upper echelons are male-dominated with 4.4% of the S&P 500 CEOs being women, and only 19% of those companies’ boards comprise women, according to Catalyst. Suppressed feelings of frustration and self-doubt are simmering amongst female talent who believe their career potential is not being recognized or rewarded. Heightened awareness of some business etiquette strategies that can be fluidly employed at the precise time in a range of business situations can help women get noticed for advancement opportunities.

While you should be judged by your innate worth, it is often a first impression that determines whether someone will take the time to let you reveal it. No doubt wardrobe plays an important role in appearance, but it's often personal grooming (and hygiene) that make the biggest impression.

When it comes to happiness in the workplace, all you really need is love. Not that the Beatles are the greatest example of getting along with coworkers, but a 2015 study from management experts at Wharton and George Mason University finds that a loving workplace is the key to employee engagement and happiness. In a survey of 3,201 employees in seven different industries—from financial services to real estate—expressed the importance of an affectionate, compassionate, caring work culture in making people more satisfied with their jobs and committed to their organization.