OWNING THE CORE NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 10 | MAY 2023

ORLANDO, FL – DMSI International was recognized as one of the Top 50 2nd-stage Florida companies to watch, receiving an award at Hard Rock Live Orlando in February.

By Mary Jane Palang, Logistics Manager, DMSI Philippines

I had this fetish for shoes. soon as I was able to get a job and earned, almost half of my salary went to shoes splurge. I own several pairs which were bought by sheer impulse and pure whim. Of course, it’s nothing fancy and lucrative compared to the ones owned by the affluent, but a brow-raising nonetheless, considering my status quo —what was I thinking? There’s this overwhelming sickness compelling me to justify why I should buy another pair, despite owning many –regardless of the ones whose boxes remained pristine. Eyeing for a new pair meant screeching my budget to the limits, I don’t care- nobody must know I was living the life of a pauper for a month, hungry, food-deprived. If only to satiate me with those coveted shoes.

Until I met this old man. I did not chance to visit his humble abode, but I know for sure that he’s living a simple life, devoid of earthly possessions. He was wearing unkempt slippers – that slapped me so hard! He was sitting there, uncaring for the world. Oblivious to what surrounds him. it was like he was only transcended to the real world when somebody called his attention to claim his gifts from DMSI.

Indeed, life is a parody. We have become so accustomed to material possessions and social slavery, that we cease to consider other human being’s needs. Life is fleeting, a very short journey until all goes to oblivion. Be kind. be considerate. Be human.

To Ma’am Jeneth, Sir Jeff, Brandon, and the rest of the team of DMSI Cares who contributed and made this event possible, thank you so much for this realization.

Mabuhay po kayo!

CEO'S CORNER

Hurry Sickness!!

By Jeneth D’Alonzo, CEO

Hurry “involves excessive haste or a state of urgency”. It is defined as a “state of frantic effort one falls into in response to inadequacy, fear, and guilt.”

In a world of chaos, pleasure, and having to have it all, doing what my friends are doing on social media, going on vacation, and buying things just to stay on the trend, career, family, and the never-ending chores, etc., the result is exhaustion. We find ourselves inadequate and having nothing. We find ourselves empty all the time. When, in fact, if we slow down and look around, we have plenty to appreciate, plenty to be thankful for. If only we give ourselves the chance to slow down a little bit, to breathe, and to live for the moment, stop focusing on the task but enjoy it more. Stop looking only at our destination but smell the roses on our way there. Then life will be more enjoyable and not exhausting. When we hurry to get there and when we get there, we are already hurrying to our second destination and at the end, we are so exhausted that we forget to enjoy ourselves.

One of the examples which I am guilty of is below:

In the grocery store, moving from one check-out line to another because it looks shorter/faster.
Count the cars in front of you and either get in the lane that has the least or is going the fastest.
Multi-tasking to the point of forgetting one of the tasks.

One thing that comes as you age is you seem to lose time and it seems time comes so fast. Seems that you’re adding wrinkles to your face and grey hair. Seems your kids are growing taller and you’re shrinking. Time is slipping away from our grasp as we grow.

Below are ten symptoms of hurry sickness:

IRRITABILITY – You get mad, frustrated, or just annoyed way too easily. Little normal things irk you. Do a self-diagnose; don’t look at how you treat your colleagues but look at how you treat those closest to you: your spouse, children, roommate, etc.
HYPERSENSITIVITY – All it takes is a minor comment to hurt your feelings, a grumpy email to set you off, or a little turn of events to throw you into emotional turmoil and ruin your day.
RESTLESSNESS – When you do try to slow down and rest, you can’t relax. You go to bed early but toss and turn with anxiety.
WORKAHOLISM – You just don’t know when to stop. Or worse, you can’t stop.
EMOTIONAL NUMBNESS – You just can’t feel another’s pain. Empathy is a rare feeling for you.
\OUT-OF-ORDER PRIORITIES – You feel disconnected from your identity and calling. Your life is reactive and not proactive.
LACK OF CARE FOR YOUR BODY – You don’t have time for the basics: eight hours of sleep, daily exercise, and healthy home-cooked food.
ESCAPIST BEHAVIOR – When we’re too tired to do what’s life-giving for our souls, we each turn to our distraction of choice: overeating, overdrinking, binge-watching Netflix, browsing social media, surfing the web, looking at porn… you name it…
SLIPPAGE AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE – When you get overly busy, the things that are truly life-giving for your soul are the first to go rather than your first go-to.
ISOLATION: You feel disconnected from God, others, and your soul. On those rare times when you stop to pray, you’re so stressed and distracted that your mind can’t settle down long enough to enjoy the presence of God.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

By Jeff D’Alonzo, President and CFO

In this ever-changing world where reality and fantasy are often blurred, where evil is good and good is evil, let us all remember the foundation of our lives in the faith and belief we have in God, and his son Jesus Christ.

Regardless of cultural trends the basic premise of hard work, dedication, and perseverance, is still the foundation that success is built on. DMSI pushes those values daily, and we trust our Prayers in difficult times while maintaining the belief that our prayers in earnest will be answered for our business and our families. Never lose sight of that hope…

EDITORIAL

By Evan Samson, Marketing Communications Director

As someone with ADHD, I’ve always known that my unique cognitive style can be both a challenge and a strength. And at DMSI, I’ve found a workplace that not only supports my professional development but also empowers me to leverage my ADHD traits as a superpower.

DMSI has allowed me to travel and gain new experiences, which has been a great way for me to break out of my routine and stay engaged. As someone with ADHD, I thrive on new experiences and challenges, and DMSI has provided me with the freedom to pursue those things without feeling guilty or overworked.

But what sets DMSI apart is its emphasis on personal and professional growth. Every day is a learning curve, and I’ve learned so much that I can apply to my work, personal life, and even spiritual journey from everyone at DMSI. The company helped me to develop my skills and pursue my interests. And because they encourage a culture of continuous learning, there’s always something new to discover.

ADHD can be a superpower if nurtured in the right way, and DMSI has created an environment where everyone can thrive and succeed. DMSI empowers employees to leverage their unique traits and reach their full potential.

“That’s one minute. See you tomorrow!”

By Joy Streich, Administrative Assistant

This is Nuseir Yassin of Nas Daily, and that is his renowned closing remark. If you haven’t heard of him, he’s a content developer who creates one-minute videos for the Internet. He quit his work at Venmo and chose to travel the world, intending to film his trips and experiences. Every time I view one of his videos, I pick up something profound and remarkable. In this video, he declared that “FAMILY” is a banned word at his company.

“Two years ago, I read a book about Netflix culture, and it inspired me,” he explains in the video. At Netflix, the term “FAMILY” is not utilized. Netflix is a place where you can create big things with great people, and a family is a group of people you will be with forever! People can never be fired! That is why companies cannot be families! Instead, the phrase “NBA TEAM” is utilized in his company. If you can play well, you’re in! You’re out if you can’t! You may have a fantastic work culture and create amazing things without utilizing the word “family.” When I heard that, it shocked me and made me think he brought up some valid points but I still disagree with his outlook. Because a team is like a family, they can unite their strengths and launch new ideas, and when a team feels like a family, they will go all out to love and serve one another.

The word “FAMILY” ought not to be banned but rather encouraged, in my opinion. You spend 8 hours per day or more, 5 days a week, in an office with your coworkers and establish a trusting and respectful relationship. That is what family is all about for me. In a family, everyone supports each other. Here at DMSI, everyone treats everyone as their family. To make the company grow, you need to trust and believe in everyone’s capabilities; the more you trust and believe in them, the more they will care for the company and help the company skyrocket to new heights. Everyone here does their best to help and support each other, whatever race you are or wherever you come from. They trust each other’s capabilities and support each other’s decisions. That is what makes a company grow. You help every employee grow at their best, and everyone will support and help others at their weakest. You make memories with them, and these memories you will cherish as you get older. DMSI changed my life; the company allowed me to experience and grow with them. And I know that even at my weakest, they will still stand by my side. Thank you, Ms. Jeneth and Sir Jeff, for letting me be part of your DMSI family. I found my second family. I found DMSI.

40 Random Lessons I’ve Learned in My 40’s

By Iylin Flock, General Manager

Practice gratitude in your daily life; you’ll be happier.
Ditch toxic people. You don’t need them in your life.
Having a routine is powerful, but pick the task that only serves you well.
When you are frustrated, pause and tell yourself not to engage.
My mistakes are part of my journey. It allows me to continue learning.
Invest in yourself. I’m not talking about material things but intangible things that can help you grow as a person.
Be present whatever it is you’re doing.
When your kids talk to you, please give them your undivided attention.
Big or small, find ways to compliment someone. You never know how it will bring a smile to that person.
Your kids are constantly watching- so make sure you are careful in setting an example.
You never know what someone is going through, so be kind.
Be an encourager.
Read more.
Use your commute time to say a prayer, whether you’re going to work or going somewhere. I like quiet time in the car.
Listen to podcasts or videos that interest you if you don’t have time to read. You will pick up a thing or two, and it’s worth it!
Get up early. I feel more productive when I start my day before everyone else.
Play more with your kids. They grow up so fast.
When mad. Pause, take a deep breath, and think about what you will say if it will make the situation worse or better.
Make an effort to spend quality time with the important people in your life.
Let go of the ego that prohibits you from learning from someone with more knowledge and experience than you.
Surround yourself with smart people and soak it in.
Text your special friend whom you don’t see and talk to and get reconnected.
You don’t need a lot of friends; you need quality friends.
Your partner is your number-one supporter. Remember that!
Don’t go into debt to impress people.
Nothing is more important than seeing/hearing my kid’s peals of laughter.
Having Confidence is not about the clothes you wear but how you wear them.
It’s hard to lose the belly stubborn fat with your third child, but then I wasn’t trying hard enough; not giving up, though!
Start your day with Jesus’ words- it helps to have a devotional book, especially when you’re not a bible reader like me.
Stop scrolling on your phone and looking at Facebook or any other social media app- it wastes time.
But then, if doing no. 30 gives you joy, then have at it.
Spend more time with your mama, no matter how busy you are!
Put all your meetings/events on the calendar. It keeps you on top of your schedule and makes you not forget!
Be an inspiration.
Write your goals.
Revisit and evaluate them and make an adjustment if needed.
Make sure you are investing/saving for your retirement.
Make sure you have enough sleep and recharge.
Self-care, whatever shape or form it may be for you!
Live for today; worry less about tomorrow.
Be intentional with your day.

Miles and Miles of Smiles

LESSONS FROM THE PAVEMENT PART 2

By Kelley Hammond, Materials Analyst

If you can believe it, you can achieve it! My name is Kelley Hammond, and I am an avid Disney Runner…have you met me, lol? Many mornings, the early morning alarm goes off, and I get out of bed, and tackle some form of movement. If I lace up, the objective is to go at least 10 minutes, even if I’m not feeling it. If you just go for ten minutes, you might change your mind, best words of advice ever. You can do anything for 10 minutes, so apply those words when a challenge seems daunting.

Racing, training, and that feeling of uncomfortableness are all temporary. What seems like “forever” is just temporary. If today is not your day, there is tomorrow, because “this too Shall pass”. But most of all believe in yourself…believe you can achieve, and that will set you on the right path always moving forward.

I race not only for myself, but for the sense of community, the friends I have made, that have become long-distance family over time, and for the charity and their recipients that benefit each time I lace up and tow a start line. So, the next time you see me posting Pics, remember, I do this for more than me…and I’ll see you at the Next starting line…running for hope, running for kids with cancer, and orphans with Down Syndrome. Each of us is special in our way!

Bob's Corner: DMSI - Changing Lives

By Bob Brewster, Engineering & Quality Assurance

In the five years that I have been blessed to be employed with DMSI, I have seen and experienced a level of love and compassion from the owners as well as fellow employees that far exceeds anything I have ever experienced at a company in nearly 40 years of being in the workforce. Below are just a few of the characteristics of the owners and employees of this company that make DMSI a great family to be a part of:

Generous – DMSI provides complimentary lunches, holiday parties, gift-giving, award presentations, social events, bonuses, etc. These perks are priceless. Nothing says “appreciation” and boosts morale like thoughtful little things! At the end of the day, the little things make a BIG difference.
Down to earth – Having the freedom to communicate directly with the owners at any given time of the day, whether by phone or in person, is a huge blessing. It is comforting to know that this company respects each employee individually and values our thoughts, opinions, and concerns. Fellow employees are humble, helpful, and hard-working. The environment here is harmonious.
Genuinely Caring – It is obvious that the owners and employees of DMSI truly care about each other’s well-being. Conversations in the workplace are natural, honest, and genuine. Employees work together like a well-oiled machine. There are no fewer people at DMSI. This team understands that none of us is greater than all of us.
Christian – The owners of DMSI are very vocal in sharing their faith with their employees and the world, for that matter. Whether it be a public speech, an in-house motivational speech, or a company-wide email, the owners of this company do well in letting us know where their courage, strength, and perseverance come from. Fellow employees also speak openly about their faith in regular, everyday conversations. It is like a breath of fresh air to have the ability to speak freely in the workplace.
Driven – DMSI is owned and operated by a team of self-motivated, overachieving, fearless individuals. Anyone who knows these three also knows that they are truly unstoppable. We have all heard the phrase, “It begins at the top”. The success of DMSI is attributed to all who contribute. However, the motivation and drive to break through the obstacles and push hard to achieve the end goal and reach new heights never reached ultimately comes from the top. This attitude influences the rest of us to strive for success, which naturally results in a win-win outcome.

Although I can only speculate on the level of impact that DMSI has had on others, I can personally attest that my quality of life is far better since beginning my employment with DMSI. DMSI is, by far, the best company that I have ever been blessed to be a part of. I thank God and pray for these people and this company daily.

By Windelle Cabral, Business Development Executive, DMSI Philippines

I’ve been part of DMSI Caress several times, in fact being a videographer for some charity events was one of the tasks I once handled, moving forward we always believe that the highest form of love is through giving, visiting, and helping our locals. But, the best activities we always look forward to yearly, especially to some of the least unnoticed areas here in Calbayog. Because of that, we could barely imagine how hard it was for them to transport their commodities daily, especially their essentials. In light of this situation, it was overwhelming and heart-touching for these barangays, despite the circumstances they never failed us to welcome DMSI, kids, and elders with their utmost genuine and biggest smiles, you can even feel how excited they are, without them knowing how we are also blessed to be given this opportune endeavor to once in their lives, they were treated important and that you can always feel the hopes from these people. Positive anticipation for new toys to play with, be ever experienced the meal from Jollibee for the first time, and being able to open gifts, which they rarely experience, from DMSI. These people made me realize that happiness is always subjective and that one can still be happy even without having nothing — they have defined us that the true contentment of life to having no internet and no cellphone/gadgets, literally the other side of the modern fancy world. For me, capturing these smiles from kids and elders will always be the most satisfying feeling in every charity event. It’s an unexplainable feeling of satisfaction and I think this is one of the main goals of DMSI Cares, aside from helping these people – it’s to make them happy and to witness their biggest smile.

However, among these stories, the project for Amparado Family will always be my favorite. Probably because it happened on Christmas day last 2021, making it even extra special. DMSI Cares surprised the family with a wheelchair for their son Jorel Amparado, a Noche Buena package, and a new tricycle to help them with their everyday income. We may be sponsors of these blessings but their reaction knowing that these are more than beneficial to all of us, we felt way beyond blessed. This was a very special day and event for DMSI Cares.

I can still remember this smile from Jorel when he finally had a wheelchair and we took him out to visit the church. I guess he was very happy when he saw the sky that he pointed to it and gave this big and bright smile.

DMSI Cares has been a big help to these people for a long time now. Big or small help, the team made a big impact on the heart of these families. We could not thank more than enough to Ma’am Jen, Sir Jeff, Brandon, and the rest of the team for doing this kind of activity every year. At the end of the day, as we witness the sunset, we also remember the bright smiles of these kids.

DMSI Cares

By Patrick Alexander, Director of Human Resources

At DMSI we try to think of different ways to celebrate and thank our employees. Some of these events are unique to DMSI and most companies do not do them. Because of the incredible owners here, we can do events such as an Easter Egg hunt, or celebrate Star Wars Day on May the 4th. We also get to give back to our communities with missions and charity work. While running a 5k may not seem like giving back to the community, we carefully select which 5k’s to run, so that we can support those charities. Some of the past 5k’s we have participated in helped children and their families while staying at hospitals for care. Superhero 5k helps families with adoptions of children in the Sarasota area. We have also supported our veterans by running in the Punta Gorda Memorial Day 5k. While not everyone enjoys running a 5k, just remember that at DMSI we are not only running for our health and fun but also to help make our community better.

VENICE,FL – Handwritten note from Leng Sommers, DMSI Staff

I AM ADA

By Ada Joy Agovida, Logistics Manager

I want to take a moment to share how fiber optics/DMSI overall has changed my career path. Prior to working at DMSI, I had a wonderful job as a glass expediter at PGT, which is also a very reputable company. For a moment, I enjoyed working there, but as time went on, I realized that I wanted to do more than just work as a glass expediter. It’s a big organization, and leadership roles are available all the time, so I applied for one. However, my former boss forbade my employment because she didn’t want to lose me and knew it would be challenging to find a replacement given how enthusiastically and thoroughly, I carried out my duties and because I routinely went above and beyond what was expected, which is something that very few people would do. As a result, I began to lose interest in my previous job and discovered DMSI, a smaller company that offers a lot of opportunities for both my future and me. However, due to my lack of knowledge on fiber optics, I gave this notion a lot of thinking. In the end, I decided to take a chance and have faith in DMSI since I thought it would be a place where I could advance professionally.

Today, after several years, I’m thankful to still be a part of such a great company. I never thought I would be where I am now, and I’m so glad I trusted my gut and switched careers. In my current role as a Logistics Manager, I’ve been able to leverage my diverse background. I also consistently maximize the chances the organization provides for my career and personal development. DMSI has a very distinct culture than other organizations I’ve worked for. Here, people genuinely care about one another, and the DMSI Cares program is so endearing that I’m so delighted to be a part of it. I’m extremely thankful for the experiences I’ve already had as well as the opportunities that are still in store for me. And my gratitude to my wonderful DMSI bosses/LEADERS will never fade.

LEAD EDITOR, INTERNAL NEWS
Evan Samson, Marketing Communications Director

MANAGING EDITOR, INTERNAL NEWS
Joy Streich, Administrative Assistant

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS, INTERNAL NEWS
Jeff D’Alonzo, President and CFO
Jeneth D’Alonzo, CEO
Kelley Hammond, Materials Analyst
Leng Sommers, DMSI Staff
Patrick Alexander, Director of HR
Iylin Flock, General Manager
Ada Joy Agovida, Logistics Manager
Mary Jane Palang, Logistics Manager, DMSI PH
Windelle Cabral, Business Devt Exec, DMSI PH
Bob Brewster, Engineering & QA