The Trick to Winning Business Awards

The Trick to Winning Business Awards

“It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”  This Muhammad Ali quote is excellent, but for a company, it only goes so far.  For a company it’s better if someone else says you’re good, compared to saying it about yourself.  It means even more when someone says nice things about you when you’re not in the room when it’s said!

Testimonials from existing customers are a fantastic source of third-party credibility to potential new customers but have little effect on current customers, existing staff, or potential new hires.  In comparison, awards provide excellent third-party credibility to all your target audiences.

Here are some tips and tricks to improving your odds of winning more awards.                                                                                                                                       

Open Your Options.

You don’t need to win the Nobel Prize.  There are a lot of award opportunities, from local community groups, media organization-sponsored awards, industry association awards, and internet award-centered companies.  Your gain a lot more credibility among potential customers when listing several lesser-known award logos on your website vs one highly recognized, big-name award logo.   

Answer Every Question in the Nomination Form.

In the early rounds, it’s about points, not prose.  Award judges are counting points to help identify the finalists and winners.  Make sure you get every point. 

When looking at the nomination questions, the judges tell you exactly what they want you to tell them. For example, many awards for individuals ask in the first question that you share the person’s name, title, age, City where they live (and sometimes where they were born), and where they attended school.  A lot of people to save time just cut and paste the person’s bio in this section- but they fail to realize there are five specific questions that need to be answered, and leaving one item out (for example, the age of the person), you automatically lose a point. 

Have an Internal Judge Review Your Work before Submitting it.

Have a co-worker review your planned submission, but have them literally check off each question you answered.  Using the example above one again, have the co-worker check off in the question each requirement (age, City, etc.).  If anything is left unchecked, add it to the final answer before submitting. Again, you’re going for points, not prose.

Examples Matter.

Often in a nomination, they ask for specific examples demonstrating your excellence.  Be descriptive in your answer and try to share a more unique story or result. Adding some color to an example makes it more award-worthy.

For example, saying bought lunch for employees or created a newsletter is nice, but not that interesting. Instead say how the lunch was a potluck or themed where you had people vote on which homemade salsa was the best.  Talk about what sections are in your newsletter, including any “personality sections” like a recipe or that you highlight individual employee milestones like work anniversaries, births, etc.

Improve Your Chances by Meeting the Award Presenter’s Expectations.

Different award presenters have a goal in mind for holding the contest.  A local organization like a Chamber of Commerce may host annual awards to support a yearly event that raises needed funds for the organization. They’re counting on finalists to buy tables for the event, and to encourage others to pay to attend as well.  If your organization grows a reputation for buying tables for awards events, other award organizers may notice.  While it won’t guarantee you a win, if there’s a tie or close vote in choosing the final finalist, it can make a difference to judges and organizers if they know they can count on you to buy a table vs the other potential finalist where they can’t count on the extra dollars.  

Look at the Award Schedules.

Many awards list their full timelines.  This includes early submission deadlines for reduced entry fees to late submission fees.

Many local organizations also include dates for interviews of finalists and the awards event.  Make sure the schedule works for your key participants. Don’t nominate your CEO for a CEO of the Year award if she won’t be available to participate in interviews or will not be able to attend the awards event to accept her prize. Local awards groups expect top leadership participation, and if they think you won’t be participating they’ll disqualify you for someone else that they think cares more about winning.

Spend Your Money Wisely- Part 1.

Some award submissions cost money just to apply.  An example would be the Inc 5000 list. Before submitting, do the math.  That award list is completely based on numbers, based on the percentage of growth over the last three years.  Do the math and see where you’d place on last year’s announced list had you submitted.  Will you still make the list at all? Would you place in the top 500, or be listed lower in the 4000s?  This might influence if you should pay the money to make the list. 

Spend Your Money Wisely- Part 2.

If you do win, will you be buying a statue/plaque to hang in your office? There’s often a cost for that physical award. Factor this cost when deciding if you want to submit your nomination, as the awards are sometimes more expensive than the entry fee. You may also want to look up what the award looks like, as this might factor in if you want to display it.

Being a Finalist Is A Win.

If you’re named a finalist or honorable mention, consider that a win!  As soon as they name the finalists, put out a company press release and promote the award to the public and your employees. Add it to your website, and treat it as a win.  Don’t wait for the reception announcing the top winner to start talking up your success. If you do ultimately win the top award, you get to put out another press release. If you came in third, you don’t need to say anything because you already put out the announcement a few weeks earlier announcing yourself as a finalist.

No-Name Awards Have Benefits too.

There are a lot of online awards companies where their entire business is to run their own awards contests. They have hundreds of categories, and their goal is to give out as many awards as possible because it encourages future nominations (with their entry fees). They sell the statues/awards on the back end so the more awards they give out, the more money they can potentially get.   Some of these “lesser known” awards end up having the most visually interesting statues. While these awards may not be as newsworthy or as attention-grabbing to potential customers who look at your website, it’s still impressive.  Especially when the more visually interesting statues are visible in your office to visitors.

Embrace Not Winning the Top Prize.

Sometimes it’s better not to be the top winner. If you’re the top winner, there is often a 5-year ban on you from applying again for that award.  Alternatively, if you’re a finalist, you can apply again next year.  From a PR perspective, it’s better to be a finalist for a year or two before winning.  Not only do you get to add numerous logos to your website, but you also get to stretch your excellence over a few years instead of a one-time-only announcement.

Reuse What Your Learn.

Keep the answers you create for different award submissions.  Often these narratives work for future submissions too, or at a minimum might provide additional details and ideas for other story opportunities.  Similarly, pull from past press releases or articles from key executives to create your submission answers or to identify interesting examples to include in your application.

In conclusion, rather than bragging or selling yourself, let awards serve as proof that you really are good.  Awards are an excellent way to highlight your company, as well as individual leaders where it doesn’t come across as biased or self-serving. Since it’s often time consuming to submit nominations, the key is being strategic to improve your odds of winning.  

Truth: I Wasn’t Expecting This.

Truth: I Wasn’t Expecting This.

by Mayra Vasquez Chavez, PR Executive at 10 to 1 PR

Let’s play a quick game of two truths and a lie:

  • I was the first person in my family to go to college
  • I have been in the same room as First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden
  • I helped secure over 50 local broadcast and print features for one announcement in under 48 hours

Could you guess the lie? I’m sure you’ll get it by the end of your reading.

Since joining 10 to 1 PR just over one year ago, I’ve gotten to support or lead campaigns that make a positive impact on our clients across the country. Seeing the results has always been my favorite part of the job. I knew it was going to be no different when Intel and Maricopa County Community Colleges District partnered together to build a skilled, diverse workforce through their new semiconductor manufacturing Quick Start program at Mesa Community College. Through the accelerated program, students are prepared with important career-ready skills in two weeks.

I felt especially connected to this project because I’ve experienced the benefits of community college firsthand. When I was in first grade, I got to see my older sister walk across the stage and get her diploma. She was the first person in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree because community college made it possible for her to get there. I even sacrificed my summers during high school to take classes at Chandler Gilbert Community College and earn credit through a scholarship program so it would also be possible for me to earn my bachelor’s degree. Community colleges deserve more credit (no pun intended) for their affordability and accessibility.

During our previous meetings it was decided that the press release announcing the program would be ready for distribution in late March. But suddenly late Friday afternoon, we learned the process had to be rushed through because an extremely special guest came into the mix. Here’s a hint: She’s the most famous community college professor and married to the President of the United States of America.

Although I always feel confident in my talent and writing skills, I would be lying if I said I was not absolutely terrified of sharing my draft with Intel and MCCCD which would also be reviewed by the press team at the White House. 

Before the White House sent their formal invitation to media later in the night, I was tasked with calling every station in Arizona and highly recommending that they should set aside a crew for Monday afternoon for an event they would not want to miss… without revealing exactly what or who that was. Saturday was filled with editing the release and getting closer to a final version to be distributed on Monday after the event. I also got to attend a meeting working through the logistics on Sunday. Because of the late weekend notice, I called stations again Sunday morning to ensure they did not miss this incredible opportunity. I also worked closely with other PR teams to assist with media who wanted to RSVP after the deadline or did not receive the information they need to get to attend. 

When the day of the event finally arrived, I was tasked with helping check in media and continue editing the draft. Finally, after numerous versions we had our finished product hours before the distribution was set to happen. Lastly, I got to witness Jill Biden’s empowering speech and hear Intel’s Quick Start program be announced to the world live before finally distributing the release and images moments after.

If you told me a year ago that I would write a press release for one of the biggest companies in the world, I would not believe you. If you told me a year ago that I would be in the same room as the First Lady of the United States promoting her involvement at a media event I helped coordinate, I would also not believe you. But after March 7th, I can now say that both statements are indeed true and the experience was incredible.

And now I have a fun ice breaker at parties!

Join Our Team!

Public Relations Coordinator or Senior PR Coordinator

Are you someone who likes to tell stories? Do you want to develop your talent while making an immediate impact as part of a team?  Interested in growing your career at a rapidly expanding PR firm? Then we need you on the 10 to 1 Public Relations team!

10 to 1 Public Relations is an award-winning traditional PR firm that works with interesting and diverse clients from across the globe. We have a “No Jerks” policy which refers to both co-workers and clients and we believe in a “no drama” office.

10 to 1 Public Relations has grown dramatically over the last few years. We are seeking a full-time, public relations professional to help our clients share their stories and achieve their public relations goals. Some of our work includes:

  • Media relations such as writing press releases, articles and pitching reporters and influencers (local, national and trade) and securing media placements (online, print, TV & radio)
  • New market and/or new product related media launches
  • Growing client recognition through award nominations and speaker submissions

You’ll be part of a team expected to play an important role in it all; involved in client-facing tasks, strategy creation, and implementation duties. Ultimately, you’ll be an important part of helping our team achieve the client’s stated goals, meaning you must:

  • Be able to prioritize, organize and manage multiple tasks at the same time
  • Have strong interpersonal skills to communicate with clients and journalists as well as collaborate with team members
  • Be an excellent writer
  • Enjoy telling stories

Additional info:

  • PR Pros with communications experience or a PR-focused degree encouraged to apply.
  • Career transition and entry level candidates with demonstrated writing skills and applicable experience will be considered.
  • Salary range for a coordinate starts at $40,000 and increases depending on experience.
  • We do not offer health insurance or a 401k.
  • 18 days PTO
  • We are hybrid, and you will be expected to work in the office two days a week, and remotely 3 days each week.  Our offices are in the Scottsdale Airpark area, behind Scottsdale Quarter.
  • Currently local candidates preferred.
  • Bilingual candidates a plus.

To learn more about our clients, approach and philosophy, visit us at 10to1pr.com

Still interested? Tell us your story! Send your resume and cover letter explaining why you want to be part of our team to josh at 10to1pr.com

A Year to Remember

A Year to Remember


When you’re focused on taking small, steady steps forward it’s often easy to forget how far you’ve gone.

With 2021 coming to a close, I started reviewing the past year and I’m completely amazed at all that was accomplished. We’ve grown so much in just the past 12 months. Here are some 2021 highlights:

While our strategy for success may be simple, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. And bluntly, it wasn’t easy! It was really hard! It’s why I’m so very proud of our team, and how we’ve risen to each challenge during this unpredictable year.

I hope that you too take a moment to recognize and reflect on your accomplishments over the past year and that it refreshes and excites you for the year ahead. Watch out, 2022, here we come!

– Josh Weiss, President, 10 to 1 Public Relations

Staff Goals for 2022…

Staff Goals for 2022…


With 2021 coming to a close, members of the 10 to 1 Public Relations team respond to the question, ‘What are some personal and professional goals or wishes for 2022?’

Professionally, I want to take better advantage of the opporutnity I’ve been given to write columns for Entrepreneur Magazine. While I submitted several in 2021, I’d love to get ahead and write even more in 2022. Personally, I’d love to get back into the habit of playing my guitar more regularly. I’ve been playing since I was ten, and while I never have been particularly good- I always enjoy strumming a few cords.

Josh Weiss, President

Professionally I hope to continue to forge great bonds with my coworkers! Personally, I hope to find more time for drawing so that I can improve my skills.

Mackenzie Nintzel, PR Coordinator
Joanne and Smriti in the office

Professional wish: I would like to put more effort into keeping up with the news. So much is changing daily in Arizona’s business landscape that new opportunties can be found every day. Personal wish: I’d like to spend more time outside. We live in a beautiful region that can be enjoyed all year long and I aim to take better advantage of the weather.

Laura Slawny, PR Director

Professionally to attend more career development events and opportunities to learn more about my clients’ industries. Personally my wish is to read for fun!

Rachael Clifford, PR Executive
Eirca, Josh and Mackenzie hold some recent awards earned in 2021

Professionally I want to continue learning and indentifying new, creative story angles. There are so many ways to tell a story and I want to be able to explore all the possibilities for our clients. Personally, I want to continue letting my family and friends know how lucky I am o have them in my life, but also to make more big life changes on my own like finishing paying off my car, move into my own place, and travel more (and also to hang my clothes/put laundry away immediately!).

Mayra Vasquez-Chavez, PR Coordinator

Planning for the PC (Post COVID) World

I find infrastructure planning related issues fascinating.  The complexity of it, and the requirement for long-term strategies to come up with solutions that not only solve today’s issues, but generational ones.  A local example would be road widening projects within your community or if a roundabout should replace a traffic light. 

An even bigger example is one I heard in the late 1990s about undeveloped countries and the issue of connecting villages.  Without phone access, people needed to travel to the next village and were often cutoff from the outside world. Not an easy task if vehicles are scarce.  Instead of building a physical telephone line infrastructure, the solution was to skip phone lines altogether and jump straight into a new technology using cell phones with towers replacing the need for telephone wires.

With thoughtful planning, solutions are available and achievable.  As 2020 thankfully comes to a close, I kind of feel like many businesses are staring at a similar opportunity as they look to the PC World. PC as in Post COVID. 

We’re finally seeing around the COVID corner. With the election in our rearview mirror and vaccine distribution starting, it’s easier than ever to see an ending of this unprecedented time.  Sure, we’re months away from people gathering together in mass, but the start of 2021 feels like the year when “the world re-opens.”  As we believe the finish line is in sight, it should also serve as a wake-up call to many businesses. They better start preparing for the PC world now or risk their business being too far behind their competitors to catch up.

We couldn’t predict COVID, which is why many businesses had trouble adjusting.  But knowing there’s the light at the end of the tunnel means we need to start thinking about new approaches now.  This need to plan mindset isn’t reserved solely for hibernating companies that purposely paused or struggled during the pandemic.  Companies that pivoted to existing COVID realities and found an opportunity to grow their business during this time, need to start preparing and positioning themselves for what’s next after the immediate fear of contracting COVID subsides.

COVID isn’t going away any time soon, even after vaccinations are commonplace.  Vaccines aren’t a cure. Caution and awareness of the importance or reducing risks will remain for years even as people will slowly start gathering in groups again and face-to-face interactions return.  We’re likely to see a mindset shift among the public beginning this Spring or summer. 

This provides an opportunity for companies who plan ahead for it.  Needs won’t change, but how we talk about them likely will.   We’re also likely to see businesses and institutions trying to return to their pre-COVID normal by fall.

Now is the time to plan, and to start establishing your company in the new marketplace. View Q1 and maybe part of Q2 as planning time and as an opportunity to reintroduce or reposition your company by utilizing a strong public relations strategy. Using this time to rebuild or grow your brand may prove vital because by  Q3 we’re going to start seeing some companies winning, and others falling too far behind to regain their previous market share.

Think about what is likely to occur once the vaccination levels reach 75% or herd immunity is established.  One simple example is that people will be anxious to explore and travel again, once confidence in public safety returns.  Travel destinations and attractions should be planning now how they plan to attract people. 

Companies also need to be wary and thoughtful of what’s going to happen next.  If asked what the first thing I’d want to do in a group post COVID would be, I’d say that I’m most excited to attend concerts again with thousands of other fans.  The challenge might not be getting me to go to a concert, but how many I’ll be willing to attend, financially.  I expect the 12-18 months after COVID there are going to be a glut of concerts worth attending as every band is anxious to get back on the road and generate revenue. The problem is that concert goers still have limited bank accounts, so fans are going to have to pick and choose, which is likely to result in a lot of lost ticket sales for bands who are used to sell-out crowds.

It’s going to be the same for businesses. Every competitor is going to be fighting for the same $100. It’s the businesses that have their strategy and plan in place that are most likely to win, while those starting to rebuild late find that all the key customers have already chosen their vendors, and that available cash has already been spent.

The lesson is that now’s the time for your company be planning for the Post COVID world.  Whether your company is just starting to rebuild after the stress of COVID, or your organization has thrived in this chaos, Q1 and Q2 are going to be pivotal in deciding which companies make it to 2022. 

Now’s the time to map out your destination and make sure your company is ready for arrival in the PC world.  

— written by Josh Weiss, President of 10 to 1 Public Relations

750 news stories in four days, and I wish not one was necessary

How to prepare employees for a deepfake attack


On April 28, 2020 my PR firm signed a new client, Ambulnz, a national ambulance services provider at the time with 1,000 employees in 8 U.S. States and operations in the United Kingdom (they’ve grown rapidly this year expanding their services and geography that ultimately led to them going public, but that’s a success story for another time). I’d been chatting with them for a while, and normally I’d be very excited to get the contract signed. Instead, their reason to sign when they did brought back emotions and memories of the toughest work week of my life back in 2004.  Here’s why.

Incoming Crisis

You may remember when COVID-19 was first becoming a reality in the U.S., New York City was particularly hard hit making it the pandemic focal point of the nation.  Ambulnz had deployed more than 70 employees to New York City to be part of the company’s FEMA COVID-19 response to help New York City’s overwhelmed EMS and healthcare system. Those deployed had volunteered from its operations across the U.S. such as Los Angeles, Tennessee, and Colorado.

One of their deployed Colorado paramedics, Paul Cary, was in the hospital with COVID-19 contracted after transporting New York patients. Doctors said the prognosis looked grim. Expecting the worst, they knew they needed experienced PR guidance. They also needed someone to become the sole primary point of contact for media on behalf of the company, as well as the family, throughout the crisis if Paul did in fact succumb.  

Some quick background for those who don’t know: before launching 10 to 1 Public Relations, I worked in-house leading PR efforts for statewide and national EMS (emergency medical services) companies for several years. The first time I led media relations efforts for a Line of Duty Death (LODD) was in 2004 in the Phoenix area. That experience literally changed my professional career, teaching me the importance of controlling the flow of information and giving me the confidence that I could handle any crisis and that PR was truly my career calling.

So here I was again, 16-years later.  My team quickly engaged, working with the Ambulnz team we began preparing for the worst. Unfortunately, two days later, paramedic Paul Cary died from COVID-19 in a New York City hospital.

Facing Unique Challenges

Any LODD is horrible, but logistically this one was unique. Usually the community outpouring and media interest is limited to a single media market. Living and working in Colorado for more than 30 years, Cary’s Denver community was mourning. With his death occurring in New York City while he came to the City’s aid, New York City was equally mourning. New York City being the largest media market in the U.S. alone can be overwhelming to a media relations department during a crisis but now we were focused on two locations 1750 miles from one another.

Add on top of that, this marked the first death of a volunteer federal responder to New York’s COVID response effort, which created national media interest. National media, New York City media, and Denver-area media. All at the same time, from different time zones. Three because it wasn’t only Denver and New York, but media was also being coordinated from Arizona where my team is located. 

Another challenge: We had never actually met any member of the Ambulnz team before, only a few phone calls with two or three people, so we needed help identifying the right contacts within the organization to get whatever we might need.

The final challenge was we had to do everything remotely because of social distancing. Flying our team into one of the cities to assist on the ground just was not doable.  

In the end, over a 4-day period of 15+ hour days, I think that week was one of the most professionally and personally gratifying work experiences I can recall. 

Enacting the Crisis Public Relations Plan

Ultimately there were more than 750 news stories in four days. We coordinated interviews and worked with reporters from some of the country’s most recognized national media outlets like CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. We coordinated interviews and worked with local print reporters and TV affiliates in New York City and Denver like the Denver Post, the New York Daily News, WABC, WNBC, Denver7 and KUSA. And we did so quickly and equally, regardless of the media outlet’s size so that every reporter felt like they got our full attention.

Developments that led to a lot of the media interest included public statements from the Governors of New York and Colorado, as well as the Mayors of Aurora, Denver, and New York City. The biggest surprise to me came from the Mayor of New York City when during a press conference surprised us all to say that a monument would be built in Paul’s honor recognizing his sacrifice and all the healthcare workers that came from out of state to help the city when it was needed most. 

The New York City Fire Department helped coordinate a massive funeral procession of emergency vehicles, only to have that effort matched in Denver with a 160-vehicle procession. Both the Newark and Denver Airports allowed bagpipes and full honors as the casket was loaded and unloaded from the plane, and both airports saluted the flight with water cannons as it taxied to and from the gate.

These efforts, and participation by other agencies and officials, made a huge impact on other first responders and healthcare workers as well. I’m proud that we had the opportunity to successfully help share it with the public through the media.  

Full Circle

My pride extends beyond our media efforts. We also coordinated all the public statements, employee outreach, coordinated with the family to generate and share their public statements, and also assisted with the planning of the public events as Paul’s body returned to Denver that Sunday night. 

To think of what was accomplished so quickly, I can’t help but think of how many people contributed to the efforts to share Paul’s story with so many. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude towards the many local PR pros that stepped up to help in Denver and New York since I couldn’t be there personally on the ground to do it myself. I cherish the kind notes from media folk and other agencies for how we performed, and for the quality of the communications we shared. 

Throughout this whole experience, there’s been one more emotional tie-in that has taken me back to my first LODD. The date Ambulnz called me to hire us and seek our help regarding the LODD was 16 years to the day of Tammy Mundell’s death, the first LODD I worked which solidified my career path. With that first experience in mind constantly through the week, I was able to lead my team with a solid plan and deliver the results our client was looking for.

Thank you to first responders

My team and I would like to thank our country’s first responders serving on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. We have immense gratitude for the work that you do every day to help those in need and keep our communities safe. Thanks to you and your families, from the bottom of our hearts.

Finally, I hope that my recap doesn’t come across as self-serving.  I actually wrote this nearly a year ago for myself, but never published it.  A year later, as we approach the last week of April and these solemn anniversaries, I keep thinking about how it impacted me personally so I thought it worthy of sharing, now.

Rest in peace, Paul Cary.  Rest in peace, Tammy Mundell. 

One Last (Genuine) Thank You in 2020

One Last (Genuine) Thank You in 2020

With hindsight finally becoming 2020, I wanted to take this last opportunity to say thank you.

Bluntly, the year was just straight-up unprecedented.  While a difficult year for everyone on so many levels, I’m so humbled and appreciative that 2020 was by far the best year 10 to 1 Public Relations has had, yet. 

I just learned a number that simply amazes me. 

Unmasking 10 to 1 Employees: Jeff Davidson

Unmasking 10 to 1 Employees: Jeff Davidson

Jeff Davidson, Senior Account Executive –

Believe it or not, I have been in Public Relations for more than 15 years. In that time I’ve dressed up in a mascot uniform, been in a dump truck full of LEGO blocks, was on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and ran around SXSW, CES, and HIMSS. Public Relations may seem glamourous, but it’s a lot of hard work. Although I’ve learned a lot from my clients, my coworkers, and my mistakes over the years – I wouldn’t change a thing.

Unmasking 10 to 1 Employees: Sharda Veeramally

Unmasking 10 to 1 Employees: Sharda Veeramally

Sharda Veeramally, Senior Account Executive –

I have been in Public Relation for over a decade and I can bet that most of my family members and friends still don’t know what is it that I do. Do I make ads or write articles for newspapers that don’t really have my name on them? My fellow PR pros can relate to this feeling. Right?! #faceplam. Nevertheless, I’ve had a great start to my career in India before moving to the United States five years ago. It definitely was a tough transition initially, but thanks to my amazing coworkers and clients for making it a smooth ride. It’s been a fulfilling journey, to say the least, and I am just getting started!

  1. If you didn’t work in PR, what would you do?
    Maybe a professional dancer or a theater artist – still telling stories, just like I do in PR!
  2. When you’re not at work …
    You’ll find me running around with my 2-year-old or in the kitchen experimenting with a new recipe.
  3. Best advice you’ve ever been given?
    The best advice I ever received was from my parents to “always trust your unique path and keep putting in the hard work. Everything will fall in place.”
  4. What’s your favorite quote?
    “Stay hungry, stay foolish” – Steve Jobs
  5. If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?
    Maybe the power to change things instantly at the blink of an eye, like in the show “I dream of Jeannie.” I would use it every day to spruce up the house after my toddler destroys it! ?