Manners on the Go

We recently had the incredible opportunity to visit New York for Debra's birthday. We spent plenty of time in an airport and on the plane, fine dining restaurants, and buses. We had a blast, so we brought a little bit of New York back to Athens.

We would love to share our new ideas and memories with you at training in June.

Training Dates: June 20-24, 2016

The investment is five days of training and $5,800.00 (U.S.D.), effective through 2016. Prior to March 1st, there is a 15% reduction in tuition bringing the enrollment tuition to $4930.00 (U.S.D.)

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Travel Etiquette

While you are travelling, you are constantly surrounded by people. It is important to consider this to make everyone's experience a pleasant one and to put your best foot forward. Here are some etiquette pointers to me mindful of:

Plane Etiquette:

• Have your ID and boarding pass readily accessible
• Take your seat as quickly as possible
• Be patient when deplaning

Fine Dining Etiquette:

• Check your coat
• Allow host to direct you to your seat
• Place your napkin in your lap
• Wait for everyone to be served before eating
• When deciding what utensils to use start from the outside and work your way inward
• Dessert utensils are located above the dinner plate
• Bread, butter, and salt and pepper are passed to the right
• Eat from the left (bread and salad) and drink from the right
• There are two types of dining, American and Continental dining, and both are acceptable

Bus Etiquette

• Step aside before boarding to allow exiting passengers to depart
• Fill from the back to the front
• Give up your seat to an elderly person, pregnant women, and someone who is disabled

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History of the Coat Check

The concept of the coat check was initiated by Albert Behar in the New York area shortly after the Great Depression. Mr. Behar noticed that customers put their coats on the back of their chairs and offered to store the coats for customers in a small room adjoining the restaurant.

About ELI

Trained and certified consultants use our programs with proven effectiveness in all fifty states and in seventeen foreign countries. Based on universally accepted etiquette, free of provincial idiosyncrasies and regional variations, our program is current, relevant and upholds the universal tradition of good manners. The agenda, originally developed in Washington, D. C. is comprised of streamlined easy-to-learn content. Our curriculum works equally well in formal and casual environments, and in urban, suburban and rural communities. The curriculum is flexible and effective whether you teach in your home, local school, recreation centers, or office. As a matter of fact, the applications for using our curriculum in your community are endless!

June Training Recap: Thursday, Is That A Fork or A Foxtrot?

Training isn't just all work and no fun - we like to keep you guessing with every step! How do we do that you may ask?

We literally have you guess...guess utensils that is! During training, in order to help our consultants learn as many details as possible we utilize memorable games that test our consultants while also helping them learn and have a good laugh.

One of those games is Name that Utensil and this June, our consultants had a blast looking through the different type of cutlery and serving items that could be used at a dinner party and guessing their purposes.

Throughout the week we also teach the consultants the basic steps to a few social dances. Thursday night is their opportunity to dance with a partner and show off their new skill.

These consultants moved flawlessly through the steps and gave our Perfectly Polished High School and College Staff members a run for their money in the dancing department.

Fun, new adventures are abundant at ELI training - all you have to do is sign up!

June Training Recap: Wednesday, The Hero of First Impressions

During ELI training, we don't expect you to just sit on the side lines while April and Debra delve into the inner workings of the children's etiquette business,

we want you to get in on the action as well!

During your training week, field trips won't just be about observation and taking notes! You will have the opportunity to work with students and participate in the activities that you will use in your own classroom after receiving your certification.

This June, our consultants interacted with the UGA Visitor Center Staff and became the First Impression Superheroes!

 

 

Let us help you tap into your own personal superpowers! Sign up for our September training today!

June Training Recap: Tuesday, Field Trips with World Class Teachers

With ELI, you get nothing but the best in terms of your instruction and learning! Not only are Debra and April there all week to guide you through all the lessons effortlessly but also, Deputy Director of the Protocol School of Washington, Robert Hickey, comes in during the week too!

Robert will breakdown step by step how you can build a solid foundation for your etiquette business! From business cards to branding and logos - he covers it all and gives you an opportunity to ask any questions so you have all the tools you need to create a successful business!

Then later in the day you get to watch Debra and April in action as they teach college students dining and proper attire! This year, we had the opportunity to work with the UGA summer freshman athletes! Seeing the lessons you learn in action can help you visualize how much good you can do with your etiquette consulting certification! 

Did we mention that you get a gift on this day too? Want to know what it is?

You'll have to sign up for our September training to find out!

June Training Recap: Monday, Meet Your New Network

Who doesn't like meeting new friends?

Your first day at training is very similar to the first day at a new school except better because you want to be there, there are no cliques to conquer, and your lunch doesn't involve fish sticks in an overcrowded cafeteria! You're getting your new books, meeting your teachers, and getting acquainted with the basics you'll need in your tool box to be successful in your courses.

So who are your classmates exactly? Well, they are innovators, trailblazers, and world-changers just like you ready to learn a wealth of knowledge from the Children's Etiquette experts! You will grow with them over the week to learn how you can take your goals to the next level and put them into action.

And the best part is, after you meet your new network - you eat with them! During this six-course dining tutorial you will weave in and out of different foods while learning the tips and tricks of being a good dinner partner.

This is the first day of school revamped just for you!

#3. Higher Education Preparation and #2. Job Interviews, The ELI Top 10

In preparation for our June "Train to be a Children's Etiquette Consultant class" we are going to have The ELI Top 10 as we celebrate our TENTH YEAR of  the Etiquette and Leadership Institute! This will be a count down of ten awesome things you will gain from signing up for our session! #CheersTo10Years

Picture this: you are sitting in a waiting room. In your hands you hold your resume printed on cream paper and an black pad-folio holds extras just in case along with a pen and some paper to take some notes. Information tidbits float through your head as you silently repeat potential questions you can ask to hopefully impress the person on the other side of the door and show that you have done your research. The receptionist calls your name "They are ready for you now!". You stand up, smooth out your clothes, take a deep breath and walk in with a smile ready to give it your best shot.

That is basically what it feels like when you're walking into a interview for the first time - job and college alike! You are not sure if you will know what to say or how to say it and all you want to do is be what they are looking for. The key to that is simple: be yourself. Take it from Elle Woods: even her college counselor did not think she was capable of getting into Harvard Law but she was adequately prepared, put her best foot forward, and did not change who she was.

Not everyone is equiped to walk in to one of these situations as confidently as Elle and ready to give it their best shot but with ELI training, you could be! All you need is a little time with us and as Elle Woods would say:

Now of course these aren't the only things you will learn but we picked ten of our favorites as a preview to get you off the fence and in Athens with us!

Follow us on our social media sites to take part in the fun!
Facebook: Etiquette and Leadership Institute

Instagram: @PerfectlyPolishedELI

Twitter: @ELIexperts

#5. Introductions and #4. Attire, The ELI Top 10

In preparation for our June "Train to be a Children's Etiquette Consultant class" we are going to have The ELI Top 10 as we celebrate our TENTH YEAR of  the Etiquette and Leadership Institute! This will be a count down of ten awesome things you will gain from signing up for our session! #CheersTo10Years

Between business meetings, job interviews, and family gatherings - how does anyone know what to wear for these occasions anymore? From pencil skirts to maxi skirts or bow-ties and regular ties, there are so many options but only one chance to make a great first impression.

And when you finally open your mouth, what do you say exactly? How do you get the person in front of you to want to remember your name let alone do what you want them to do? Is what you are saying even important?

Remember in the Devil Wears Prada when despite Andy's choices in fashion (or lack there of), Miranda Priestly still hired her on the spot. It was not because of her clothes - though throughout the movie, her outfit choices evolved beautifully - it was her first impression that really stuck with her.

Now we do not have a closet full of couture accompanied by Stanley Tucci to guide you through what pants pair well with a blouse but we can update you on what standards are acceptable for each occasion and how to start off each one on the right foot (or word in this case)!

Now of course these aren't the only things you will learn but we picked ten of our favorites as a preview to get you off the fence and in Athens with us!

Follow us on our social media sites to take part in the fun!
Facebook: Etiquette and Leadership Institute

Instagram: @PerfectlyPolishedELI

Twitter: @ELIexperts

#7. Dining and #6. Dancing, The ELI Top 10

In preparation for our June "Train to be a Children's Etiquette Consultant class" we are going to have The ELI Top 10 as we celebrate our TENTH YEAR of  the Etiquette and Leadership Institute! This will be a count down of ten awesome things you will gain from signing up for our session! #CheersTo10Years

Just like a page out of an old fashion book on courtship, our #7 and #6 on #TheELITop10 have to do with our two most popular subjects! No longer will you approach a table filled with silverware not knowing where to start or shy away from the dance floor to conceal your two left feet! When your boss needs someone to accompany them to the business luncheon they will look to you because they know that you are trained and confident in dining. And at the next holiday function you can dance your way into opening doors to new opportunities!

After training with us you will be able to tango smoothly through multiple courses and also serve up some awesome dance moves that will fill everyone around you with amazement and envy!

Now of course these aren't the only things you will learn but we picked ten of our favorites as a preview to get you off the fence and in Athens with us!

Follow us on our social media sites to take part in the fun!
Facebook: Etiquette and Leadership Institute

Instagram: @PerfectlyPolishedELI

Twitter: @ELIexperts

#9. Wedding Coach, The ELI Top 10

In preparation for our June "Train to be a Children's Etiquette Consultant class" we are going to have The ELI Top 10 as we celebrate our TENTH YEAR of  the Etiquette and Leadership Institute! This will be a count down of ten awesome things you will gain from signing up for our training! #CheersTo10Years

Ever watched a wedding coordinator jump through all sort of hoops to make sure the bride's special day remains in tact without breaking a sweat and think to yourself how they do it? We know how! Now do not take this title to the extreme. Disclaimer: We are in no way saying that you can be the next Jennifer Lopez who can plan Matthew McConaughey's dream wedding or the Katherine Heigl of Maid of Honors for a bride. Those jobs are not for the faint of heart.

We are saying though that our training will give you the skills you need to be a calm, level-headed advisor of the bride who is just trying to make it through the weekend with good memories in tact. You can be a saving grace for the bride during a time of organized chaos. You will show her how to be gracious when accepting those gifts that she does not even know how to use. You will help find compromises and serve as a crisis negotiator when the bride and her mother disagree over wedding songs. And most importantly, you will be there to remind her that today is her day and you will do anything in your power to make it stress free and fun.

Now of course these aren't the only things you will learn but we picked ten of our favorites as a preview to get you off the fence and in Athens with us!

Follow us on our social media sites to take part in the fun!
Facebook: Etiquette and Leadership Institute

Instagram: @PerfectlyPolishedELI

Twitter: @ELIexperts

#10. Toasting, The ELI Top 10

In preparation for our June "Train to be a Children's Etiquette Consultant class" we are going to have The ELI Top 10 as we celebrate our TENTH YEAR of the Etiquette and Leadership Institute! This will be a count down of ten awesome things you will gain from signing up for our session! #CheersTo10Years

Whether it’s at a rehearsal dinner or a casual get together at your local brewery, we will prepare you to have the confidence and charisma to address a crowd and deliver something meaningful so that your friends will know who to go to every time they need some wise words before the glasses clink.

Here are some short toast you can try out on your family at dinner until you join us in June!

May friendships, like wine, improve as time advances. And may we always have old wine, old friends, and young cares.


Love is the life-spring of our existence. The more love you give, the happier you feel and the more love you will have within you to give.

Now of course these aren't the only things you will learn but we picked ten of our favorites as a preview to get you off the fence and in Athens with us!

Follow us on our social media sites to take part in the fun!
Facebook: Etiquette and Leadership Institute

Instagram: @PerfectlyPolishedELI

Twitter: @ELIexperts

Training next week!

Debra, April and Cindy are excited!

Our next round of etiquette training certification starts next week , and we can't wait!

This time, we have future etiquette consultants traveling to our training from Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, Texas and Canada. Like our last training week in June - or the one before that, last November - we anticipate a lot of fun. And why not? We get to share what we love to do: shaping the next generation of leaders by arming them with good manners, spreading the importance of treating others with kindness, preserving and promoting civility...and dancing!

We also get to share some of the people who make our job the best in the world: the children we teach both in Athens and at the Ron Clark Academy. Teaching around 4,000 children and teenagers a year in 12 area counties makes us really be able to say that we both talk the talk AND walk the walk.

Hope to see you at our next training week!

Training Week!

Once again, it’s training week!



We’ve mentioned that we love our job, right? Because we do!

Through Perfectly Polished: The Etiquette School, we teach around 4,000 children and teenagers a year in 12 area counties. (Not bad considering we started out in 1985 with just 20 students.)



That means we know what we’re talking about when we train others to become certified children’s etiquette experts. Since 2005, when we acquired the children’s training division of the Protocol School of Washington, we’ve trained and certified 350 children’s etiquette consultants.



This week's trainees come from all over the country. One attendee is already a certified etiquette consultant through PSOW’s corporate etiquette branch — but we’re teaching her everything there is to know about children and etiquette. It's a busy, fun week for everyone: we observe and help teach at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta; we learn about props and other ways to reach children; we brush up on dance steps and dining etiquette; we work directly with the young people of Perfectly Polished. And that's just a small taste of our activities! When they leave our training, every single consultant will be armed with teaching materials, a business plan, and our limitless future support.

Want to join us next time? Please do!

Training - mark your calendars now!

Have you ever considered becoming a children’s etiquette consultant? Now’s a good time to get out your calendar and make plans, because we have three training weeks on the schedule for 2011.

We’ve blogged before a little about what it’s like to train with us to become a certified children’s etiquette consultant. Not only do you learn from the experts (Dorothea Johnson, the founder of the Protocol School of Washington, calls us “the nation’s most outstanding source of children’s etiquette training”), but you have a great time meeting other future consultants, spending time with the outstanding children we teach, and leave ready to start your own business.

When you train with us, you

• Attend a five-day, hands-on training course
• Learn from our trainers and experts, who have in-depth knowledge and personal experience
• Have access to knowledge from our extended team of experts
• Receive a universally-accepted, updated curriculum for 8-24-year-old students
• Receive resource guides for business operations, marketing and PR, and social dance
• Observe and participate in student-interactive classes
• Enjoy a six course dining tutorial
• Have a professional photograph session
• Receive our continued professional support long after you’ve been certified

Our 2011 training sessions are April 11-15, June 20-24, and Nov. 7-11. Feel free to sign up online, or visit our website for more information. Hope to see you soon!