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EmpireCLS further emphasizes its commitment to luxury, chauffeured transportation by adding two new vehicles to its fleet—the 2015 BMW 740i sedan and 2015 Cadillac Escalade SUV.
The two additions are one of a few changes EmpireCLS has made to its fleet. In 2011, Chairman and CEO David Seelinger made a statement to the transportation industry by phasing out the Lincoln Town Car, replacing them with the stylish Cadillac XTS livery model sedan. In 2012, the Mercedes-Benz Executive Sprinter Van was introduced into the fleet, featuring eight captain’s chairs, two high-definition TVs, AppleTV, wireless Internet and more.
The BMW 740i and new Cadillac Escalade are available now for EmpireCLS’ New York metropolitan area, Los Angeles and San Francisco markets. Please visit EmpireCLS’ Fleet page for more information and images of these vehicles.
A job in management can be one of the biggest challenges of your professional life. You are juggling many of the hats you already wore, while balancing the additional, heavy, complicated hat of making sure that your team is productive, balanced and happy. The exhaustion and self-doubt that can result from hardships in your position of authority are enough to end a sterling management career before it even has its heyday. So what do you do when you find yourself teetering slightly on the edge of complete frustration and lack of confidence in your abilities to lead? You read some inspirational leadership lessons and get back at it, of course. And who better to inspire the fledgling leader in you than some of the original leaders of our country, our great past Presidents?
We’ve compiled a quick list of some of the best leadership lessons from some of our greatest Presidents to help give you the spark of confidence you need to lead like a pro.
George Washington
“We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting from dearly bought experience.”
Commonly called “The Father of America,” George Washington was a phenomenal leader who had an unparalleled vision for the potential of our nation. This, one of his best-known quotes, is easily applicable to your role as a manager in that it encourages perspective, the kind that will yield positives from any situation that arises. Not only will cataloging your past failures help you to revise your future approaches to the same problem, but failures or misfires give you opportunities to improve your interactions with your employees and your abilities to communicate with them during times of distress. Also contained in this quote from our great first President is some equally important advice: Don’t let your past failures haunt you. Dwelling on your mistakes will only throw a wrench in your confidence and productivity as a manager. Unless you use your mistakes as a positive lesson, you won’t reap any positive benefits.
Abraham Lincoln
“As our case is new, we must think and act anew.”
Few things can be said about Lincoln that don’t include his visionary approach to leadership. And the quote above reflects Lincoln’s beliefs that changing, as the times change, is both necessary and good. This lesson is invaluable when it comes to managing because it reminds you of the importance of being flexible, assessing the changes, whether environmental, societal or technological, that are affecting your business and molding your management style to be both accommodating and welcoming. Clinging to tradition is only effective in a few arenas; in the age of information, being willing to get up and go with the swing of things is one of the most valuable assets a manager can acquire.
Theodore Roosevelt
“Believe that you can, and you’re halfway there.”
Something that many leaders and managers can forget in the hustle of demands that comprise their jobs is taking the time to establish an unshakeable self-confidence. Few things can poison your performance quite like self-doubt, and when you’re a manager, you’re self-doubt is far more visible and affects far more people. Theodore Roosevelt said it best with the quote above: when you’ve decided to believe in yourself and your abilities as an effective leader and manager, and you’ve knocked out a ton of the work that it takes to actually manage. Remind yourself that you got the job for a reason, but keep in mind that you are responsible for a group of people who depend on you to help them do their jobs better. It’s a lot of responsibility, but believing you can do it is a huge part of juggling all of them beautifully.
Effective managing will likely never get easier, but keeping a few inspirational leadership quotes in the back of your mind for the days when your position really challenges you is an easy and comforting way to stay on track and keep on trucking.
EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services is nominated in the “Best Limousine Services” category for the 2014 Concierge Choice Awards.
Hosted by the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges, the 8th annual Concierge Choice Awards will be held at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park on September 22.
Since 2007, the Concierge Choice Awards honors premiere individuals and businesses in the New York City area catering to the visitor/service industries. The NYCAHC was established in 1987 as an association of professional concierges of hotels in the Metropolitan area of New York City.
EmpireCLS thanks the men and women of the concierge community for their ongoing support and dedication and would like to congratulate the other winners and nominees.
Visit the Concierge Choice Awards website to learn more about other winners and nominees from other categories.
Anyone can brand themselves a luxury provider, but finding a company committed to true VIP transportation is one in a million. The real difference between a chauffeured car and a true VIP transportation experience is in the details. From spotless detailing to a highly-trained chauffeur committed to an outstanding customer experience, the right executive company knows that achieving anything less than exceptional just isn’t an option.
The Executive Sedan
Each and every member of an A-List is unique, and exceptional VIP transportation providers have a varied fleet to meet your every need. Whether you’re in need of a security-detailed SUV or a fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle, the top executive transportation companies have a fleet to accommodate every need. From safety to style, the options extend beyond the basic, black Town Car, whether you need to go unnoticed in a sleek Lexus or turn heads in a Rolls Royce Phantom.
VIP Transportation providers recognize that a luxury experience should feel like you’re the first passenger. Their vehicles are frequently detailed, inside and out. From a perfectly-detailed cabin with all the latest amenities to an exquisitely distinguished exterior, the best companies never ignore a single detail.
The Chauffeur
A chauffeur can make or break your VIP transportation experience: almost anyone can drive a car, but few can provide executive service. It’s a well known fact that traffic, accidents and road closures can stand in the way of your journey, and a professional chauffeur has the training and expertise to seamlessly work around these unexpected challenges. So what does it take to be a chauffeur at an elite company? The best companies look a little deeper than a clean driving record and background checks in the hiring process. They also know that old-fashioned customer service isn’t dead, and they work to employ chauffeurs who can provide ingenuity and great service in addition to safe driving skills.
Exceeding expectations shouldn’t be an occasional service, it should happen with each and every ride. You’ve worked hard to achieve executive status, and you should never have to settle for second-best. Sometimes a VIP Transportation experience requires a little ingenuity to navigate challenges, and the best chauffeurs deliver every time.
The Commitment
Preferred VIP Transportation providers are committed to an executive experience, each and every time. Delivering a chauffeur to transport you on time in a clean vehicle isn’t optional. Great companies are committed to gaining loyalty by exceeding expectations. No two VIP passengers are alike, and the best executive transportation providers are committed to recognizing and meeting each of your unique needs. Whether you’re in LA or New Jersey, the commitment to being the best VIP transportation provider should never waver. Exceeding expectations every time, regardless of the coast or time, should be part of the commitment.
Anyone can brand their company as a luxury specialist, but few companies will work hard to identify each customer’s unique needs and exceed expectations every time. You shouldn’t have to settle for a satisfactory experience of being driven safely and on time a town car. Exceptional VIP transportation providers understand that you deserve a highly-trained chauffeur and perfect car, and they’re committed to delivering an executive experience.
(LOS ANGELES, CA) EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services has partnered with ECPAT-USA as the first global ground transportation company to join the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct, an industry-driven initiative to provide awareness, tools and support to its partners to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.
“EmpireCLS is excited to join ECPAT in their charge against the sexual exploitation of children,” said David Seelinger, chairman and CEO of EmpireCLS. “As ECPAT’s first transportation partner, this partnership will increase awareness within our industry and inspire other companies to join the cause. As a father, I can’t express how much concern is placed on my own children’s safety. We all must do our part to find an end to this global crime.”
In the US, an estimated 300,000 youth are at risk of becoming victims of trafficking annually. In a recent cross-country single sting operation, 168 American children were identified as victims of trafficking and 281 traffickers were arrested.
EmpireCLS will officially announce the partnership with ECPAT-USA representatives during the 2014 Global Business Travel Association Convention, a major travel and tourism trade show, on Tuesday, July 29 at 4:30p PST at convention booth #1213.
“It’s exciting to see a new industry taking the lead, and we congratulate EmpireCLS on their groundbreaking work,” said Michelle Guelbart, director of private sector engagement of ECPAT-USA. “EmpireCLS’ efforts are an innovative step forward in the fight to protect children.”
As part of the new partnership, EmpireCLS will implement new companywide policies and procedures about protecting children, including training programs for employees. “In conjunction with ECPAT, we are developing a training initiative to roll out later this year that will inform our staff about children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation and how to report suspected cases,” said Seelinger.
EmpireCLS will also include verbiage into contracts about its zero-tolerance policy against trafficking, advising business partners of its commitment to child protection.
For additional information about the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct and how your company can be involved in ending child slavery at the source, visit www.ecpatusa.org/code.
About ECPAT-USA: ECPAT-USA is the leading policy organization in the United States seeking to end the commercial, sexual exploitation of children through awareness, advocacy, policy, and legislation. ECPAT-USA is a member of the ECPAT International network, with offices in 73 countries. For more information, visit www.ecpatusa.org/code or contact Michelle Guelbart at (718) 935-9192 or michelle@ecpatusa.org.
About EmpireCLS: Founded in 1980, Empire International launched what would become the industry standard for worldwide ground transportation service. Founded in 1981, CLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services became the premier car service for CEOs and the entertainment and media elite in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. The two companies merged in 2005 to form EmpireCLS, sharing a vision for world-class, executive travel services through luxury, privacy, and personalization. On call and in demand in over 700 cities globally, EmpireCLS’ approach to ground transportation is sought after by CEOs, dignitaries, executives and entertainers around the world. For more information, visit www.empirecls.com or contact businessdev@empirecls.com.
Check out the article on Haute Living
EmpireCLS Has Taken David Seelinger on the Ride of His Life
Credit: Article written by Jennifer Kamm for Haute Living
As the mania surrounding the Super Bowl dies down and the madness of the Oscars begins to take flight, EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services CEO David Seelinger sits at his desk in New Jersey with his German Shepherd, Reika, by his side, reflecting on the past couple months. “Awards show season is just out of control,” he tells Haute Living, a smile crossing his face. He may be exhausted, but he’s not complaining. With headquarters in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, and soon, Las Vegas, plus a fleet of more than 900 luxury vehicles, Seelinger knows that being busy is the highest form of flattery in such a competitive industry.
“When I look at the roster of people we pick up every day, even after all these years, it blows me away,” he admits. “I can’t believe who we engage with on a daily basis.” Though he won’t reveal the names of his A-list customers, EmpireCLS has become a staple in both the business and entertainment industry—and has even earned Seelinger a guest appearance on a reality television show. “We serviced Kim Kardashian’s wedding to Kris Humphries, and I was on the show,” he discloses.
Despite his legion of celebrity clientele, Seelinger says that the company has never had any breach of confidentiality from its drivers in its 30-year history. “Confidentiality is paramount,” he insists. “We’re transporting people that you’re seeing in the press or on TV every day and we have to make sure that the chauffeurs know how to be evasive when they have those clients with them. We do extensive background checks on our chauffeurs every quarter.”
In a nation obsessed with celebrity gossip, it’s this sort of honesty and integrity that separates EmpireCLS from its competitors. “The staff has an enormous amount of passion for what they do and the chauffeurs feel the same way,” he explains. “Although we’re a big company, it really feels like we’re not. We have this closeness among each other. I try and keep that sort of family feeling in the environment, and because of that, I think that people really care about the company and its success.”
As Seelinger waxes poetically about his company and its pool of luxury vehicles including the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Cadillac XTS, Rolls-Royce Phantom and Ghost and the ever-popular Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator SUVs, it’s clear that EmpireCLS is more than just his business; it’s his blood, sweat and tears, and in many ways, the family that he never had. “A lot of people have a somewhat dysfunctional childhood, which I’m pretty open about, and that was the case with me,” he says. “It had a profound impact on me, and as I got older and entered high school, I developed an addiction to drugs and alcohol and I ended up in a really bad place.”
Despite his dependency, Seelinger always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit and ran several service stations and his own towing business by the age of 19. “I was pretty successful, but anytime I made any money it was gone the next day because of my addiction,” he confesses. After overdosing on drugs and going into respiratory arrest, Seelinger experienced a spiritual awakening of sorts. “I really shouldn’t have lived through that overdose, but I did, and I felt like it was my second chance,” he reveals. “It was important to me to do everything that I could to improve my life.”
After a stint in rehab, Seelinger emerged stronger and more determined than ever to get his life back on track, but he didn’t know where to begin. “I saw an ad in the paper for drivers and I thought, I could drive a limousine,” he divulges. “I had never lived in the area so I got lost every time I picked someone up. But I was very subservient to people and I would put the charm on, so even if I was late by a half hour, they really didn’t care.” In time, Seelinger developed a close friendship with his boss, Alan Lehrer, and eventually, the two became business partners and grew the company from three cars to 150.
“I’m not sure there was a strategy,” he admits. “I think it was just two guys who worked really hard and one of them was good at sales, which at the time was Alan. He really took me under his wing, and I went from being an introvert to an extrovert.” A personality trait he credits as the driving force behind the growth of his company today. “One day Alan asked me to come for a ride with him in the car and he pulled up at this travel agency in a strip mall. He said, ‘I hate to do this to you, but if you don’t go in there and get that account, don’t come out because I’m done,’” Seelinger says with a laugh. “I was sweating profusely, but I took a business card and a brochure I made and I walked in there nervous as hell and asked if the owner was available. They were busy and all I wanted to do was turn around and leave, but Alan was sitting in the car shaking his finger at me.”
“So this nice woman comes out and I asked her if I could take up a moment of her time and speak with her about their transportation services and she invites me into her office,” he continues. “I told her that I really appreciated it because I’d never done this before, and she goes, ‘I know. Alan told me you were coming.’ After that, there was just no stopping me. Once I discovered that I could sell, I just loved going out and doing it.”
But in 1990, tragedy stuck that shook Seelinger to his core. Lehrer was killed in a motorcycle accident, leaving behind a devastated widow and four children. Despite his sadness, Seelinger made it his mission to build an empire that would make his friend proud. After taking the company (then called Empire International) global by creating a large affiliate network in Europe, Seelinger merged with one of their largest competitors, CLS, in 2005. “It was a tough transition because it was the largest transaction that’s ever been done in the history of the industry so it took a few years to get all the synergistic value out of it,” he says. “But today, we’re the largest privately held chauffeur transportation company in the country.”
When Seelinger isn’t busy building his business, he’s shuttling his two equestrian daughters, Madison and Dakota, “from barn to barn to barn.” The 8 and 12-year-old little ladies are also the namesake behind EmpireCLS’ new technology service, Madkota, which launches this summer. While the advanced technology will improve communication between EmpireCLS and its network of international affiliates, it will also offer a downloadable application, which clients can use to customize their travel needs. “It’s much more robust than just an app to book a car,” Seelinger explains. “It can book a restaurant for you or it can direct you to a particular hotel that has availability. Plus, it’s all integrated into our system, so if you come out of a restaurant, you can look at your app and see on your GPS exactly where your chauffeur is waiting.”
Although Seelinger is clearly proud of the technological innovations, at the end of the day, he believes that it’s the company’s commitment to honesty that keeps customers coming back. “My clients always tell me that when something goes wrong, our folks are always honest about it,” he proclaims. “There’s no misleading. It sounds simple, but a lot of companies today don’t do that.”
Photo credit: Donnelly Marks
