I am a proud second-generation Protocol School of Washington (PSOW) graduate who graduated in April 2014 and am delighted to share my story. Immediately following my training at PSOW, I had the tools and network from PSOW to launch my own business and become an entrepreneur after working in Corporate America in the financial services industry for many years. PSOW inspired me with the teaching methods, curriculum, resources, network and friendships to believe in myself as a new entrepreneur. I became the Founder and President of a successful new small business called the Cincinnati Etiquette & Leadership Institute, LLC (CELI) and have conducted etiquette training programs for Fortune 500 companies, small to mid-size companies, universities, and high schools. I have also become a columnist for my local business newspaper and a national columnist for a women’s business leaders news site. Thanks to PSOW, I am having the time of my life!

In 2007, I was still working in corporate America where I had a successful career as a National Marketing Manager at a large consulting company. I decided that it was time for a change. I wanted to become an image consultant. I took vacation time to go to NYC for a seven-day intensive training course to become a certified image consultant. I knew at that time, at some point I wanted to also receive specialized training in the area of corporate etiquette. During my image-training course I inquired about recommendations for where I could receive this training. The Protocol School of Washington (PSOW) came highly recommended.

There have been so many times throughout my life that people have told me, “You’ve got to fake it until you make it.” While there will be places and situations that one might find themselves in where this cliché may be appropriate, my experience has revealed that there is one area where you just can’t fake it, Manners!

Let me start by saying, I am extremely lucky to live in Dayton, Ohio, because, if I hadn’t, I would have never met, Ms. Pamela Eyring. I met Pamela in 2000. She was the Chief of Protocol at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. I was a consultant in a high-end designer clothing store at the time. Pamela stepped into my life as a client. How lucky was I? For years she would tell me about these wonderful etiquette and protocol seminars that she would present all over the world. To say the least, I was intrigued. When Ms. Eyring bought the business, the Protocol School of Washington, I knew I wanted to make a huge life change! It was time — I needed a career that was challenging, interesting, that would help others and, yes, pay more!

I remember taking an etiquette seminar while in college, presented by one of my professor and friends, Leslie Jett. Immediately I noticed the value of this content and was intrigued to learn more. Shortly after graduating college, I decided to send myself to The Protocol School of Washington, so I too, could become a Certified Etiquette & Protocol consultant.

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.