What I've Learned Lately

Hello stranger!

Yes, this blog is still active and I am still active as a consultant as well. I've been spending more time on the finance side of life these days and that's just fine. The pendulum swings again.

I hope that everyone has had a chance to get away from the usual routine this Summer. Travel is my favorite way to gain perspective. Whether you live in the city or the country, they way you do business is very much influenced by your immediate environment. Taking a break can give your brain a wake-up call to think of new possibilities. I do some of my best thinking on trains.

I'm heading back for Portland in a few weeks and these were some of my thoughts as I was taking the train back from my apartment hunting trip:

• Be proactive. If you see a trend, be prepared to hop on it before it's too late.
• Stay up to date on new technology. It can be a bit hard to play catch up.
• Don't be shy about connecting with old colleagues. That's what social media is for.
• Stay open minded. You may have to shift gears quickly and holding onto old ideas will really slow you down.
• And conversely, don't hop onto the newest thing just because it's new and shiny!

I'm sure that being in a new home will shake some new ideas loose and I'll look forward to sharing them with you soon.

Too Much Noice or in a Vacuum?

Photo by Mondomuse

I personally feel different about this question every day. I can be and feel both ways all the time. I chalk that up to technology for the most part. We spend our days on a computer, with information coming at us from all directions, but there we are in our own space, working alone or in a small group.

Other than the obvious suggestion of "we've gotta get out a bit more", I think the other best suggestion is to not just surround ourselves with people who are doing what we're doing. It's so easy for that to happen, in our desire to have and create community but there comes a point where it does become a vacuum. We validate each other: "Oh yeah! Things are really rough out there and no one appreciates what we're doing!" or "This is the next happening thing. Don't you see everyone on about this right now?"

The people who see trends coming from a distance are the Visionaries for a reason. They put together all the elements of what's going on in a particular market and blend it with the overall trends in lifestyles and consumerism. Visionaries have a place in our society and it is very often NOT creating new products and services, but inspiring them.

Whatever your business is, chances are, you're going to see the world through that 'lens'--the lens of YOUR world. That's fine, as long as you know that and see that there are other ways to see the world that will inevitability affect you as a business owner. It comes down to balancing your time every day, or every week with the kind of information you let into your stream. If you're on a social media marketing site, try and follow folks who are in very different businesses in other parts of the US and the world as a way to broaden your perspective.

You don't know what you don't know! Keep an open mind.