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...

I was driving home last night from work and talking to someone on the phone. This person asked me why I would blog, made some comments about not understanding, then said it was kind of stupid. After I hung up, I began to think about personal growth and openmindedness. How often are companies not growing because the leaders in the company are not growing? One of the things I love about business is that for the most part, the success is truly in our own hands. I am a firm believer that if one cannot grow, or refuses to grow (and what I mean by growth for this is opening your mind to new opportunities),...

So, I am new to this whole blogging thing, and I was reading over Kyle Lacy’s post from this morning on 20 Things We Have Learned From Blogging. Great post, Kyle. I noticed (as I should have begun this weeks ago), that one of the biggest issues for me as far as blogging is concerned was, is, can be, INTIMIDATION. I have read so many great posts by so many talented people on Smaller Indiana. For those of us who are new to a community, as I have only recently joined SI, it can be hard to just jump in. But that’s exactly what you (I) have to do. Jump in. As with any venture, be it personal...