1. When I grow up, I STILL want to be a rock star: Okay, so when I was 14, I would stand in front of my mirror, vacumm in hand (I needed a mic) and would be shouting along with Courtney Love, “GO ON, TAKE EVERYTHING, TAKE EVERYTHING, I DARE YOU TO!” Music is still my life…oh, and that Hole cd, I just listened to it the other day on the way to work…but check out my band, We’re Not Mexican! 2. I have a serious, serious thing for Zach Braff, (but I don’t watch Scrubs) I’m talking about Garden State, The Ex, The Last Kiss… I love him…:-) 3. I am...

I was grateful to be able to attend an event today at Butler University with one of my co-workers. While there, we were able to hear Dr. Carol Hagans speak about the differences of generations, focusing on gen X and the millennials. Anyone who has not heard her speak, she is brilliant. One comment she made really struck my attention (guess what it is!! ) Rather than “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, we should change it to do unto others keeping their preferences in mind.” What a great way to approach-eh-pretty much everything. Whether it’s recruiting, doing...

Often times in both small and large business, the first thing business owners want to cut back on during a rough patch are unfortunately things that should NEVER go… sales, marketing, and TRAINING. I say this; actually, many of people say this, but my here is my opinion: these are the driving forces behind a company getting THROUGH a tough time. If you do not have your sales team, you’re losing money. If you are not marketing, you’re losing sight. (Or I should you’re your losing exposure.) If you are not training your staff on how to do both of these things, look out, you may be in...

I attended NOWIB’s Leadership luncheon today because a) NOWIB (Network of Women in Business) is awesome, and b) my company, Slingshot, works with interns and that’s what today’s discussion was about. Now, I don’t want this to be blantant promotion for Slingshot, because that is not the point here. The point is whether you are a big business or a small business, adding interns to your 2009 plan will not only allow your business to grow in a cost-effective way, it also allows you the chance to give back to a new generation! I think there are some serious advantages to working...

I don’t know about you, but this week (it’s only Wednesday?) has been one of those weeks where I can not stop thinking about all the things I want to do and what I would like to make happen for other people. I have been inspired, I have been full of ideas, and I feel like I have been feeding off many of you here on SI. Not in a ‘vampire’ kind of way (we know those people, right?), but in a positive, ‘thank you for the good vibes’ kind of way. Okay, with that being said, I was in Aaron Prickel’s class this morning at Lushin and Associates learning how to...

Ann Clifford from Safari Solutions sent me this great article called 5 Things Every Young Worker Needs to Know. Since I work with young professionals as well as businesses, I wanted to put in my take on each of the five: 1. Media reports may not be relevant to you: Yes, if you’re trying to get into some of the companies that have had major lay-offs, perhaps it’s time to reconsider. There are plenty of businesses out there, though they may be smaller companies, which will need help in sales and other areas. The key is being open to it… and yes, the mass media does tend to over-report...

In my company, we educate soon-to-be college grads and recent grads the art of selling. We do our part to teach them how to be successful in a business, but an intern’s success is not always just about the intern. There has to be some level of management to ensure growth of the individual. They should not just be out there making copies and getting coffee. I believe interns are vital to a company. It gives the company a chance to get extra help without it costing as much, and it gives the intern a chance to see what it is they want to do, see what type of sales they will excel in. Perhaps...

Okay, so if you are like me, I tend to let outside influences affect my attitude. This is obviously not the smart thing to do, but it’s human, I’m human, so there’s that. It’s not that I can’t control my emotions on my own, it’s that I am one of those people who can have really high days, and really low days. I also notice that I do better on sunny days. Can anyone relate here? Winter in Indiana is pretty lame, especially when it’s not snowing. My question is, how often do we let uncontrollable factors control our attitudes toward business and toward people...

As 2009 approaches, my company, Slingshot, has really been looking to be more socially responsible. I’m a recycling nazi (just ask my co-workers and family), and I was really excited to have gone to the recycling center to get the office a blue recycling bin ( you know, to kind of make it “official”) , but really, there is way more to being socially responsible than recycling (although it is a good start). For a while, we had been looking for something to stand behind. An organization that was going above and beyond to make a difference. I am so excited to say that we finally...

I am no economist, I have no expertise in the economic condition, and I am extremely blessed to still have a position in business, but I want to know if things are really as bad for you as “they” say. Okay, as I mentioned in my blog last week about company growth, I said that one of the things I love about business is that for the most part, success is truly in our own hands. With that being said, I have numerous friends, and know many companies that are still thriving despite the economic woes being expressed. I understand that many BIG companies were extremely irresponsible in handling...