Champagne, Confetti and Promises

In this post: Jaimy looks forward to the New Year with a few resolutions on deck. ...

It’s that time of year again, people: Time for New Year’s resolutions.

Usually, around the end of December, I’ll think of one grandiose item to accomplish in the New Year. Then, like most people, I work on it for a month then drop it in lieu of spending more time on Facebook, or forget about it all together amidst a post-NYE champagne haze.

I’ve decided to do something different this year. Rather than default to the usual, “I’ll lose 50 pounds in hopes of becoming a star in Black Swan 2: Break a Leg,” I thought to take the time to brainstorm things that are actually attainable—both personally and professionally.

So, in no particular order, here goes. Perhaps if I share these with all of you, I’ll feel more compelled to keep to my plans. What a novel idea!

1: Just go for it.
Perfection is great, until it takes away from the actual “doing.”
Act more quickly on the big ideas.

2: Concentrate on relationships.
Spend more time with loved ones, because time just goes by too fast.
Reach out one person per day that I haven’t connected with in awhile.
Have meaningful conversations.

3: Draft a five-year plan.
Figure out where I’m headed and how I plan to get there.
Make sure to spend plenty of time traveling, truly disconnected from the online world.

4: Worry less.
Only concern myself with the things I can change.
Breathe and let go more.
Chronicle things I do each day that make me happy, proud and excited.

5: Help others.
Become involved with a nonprofit organization that truly inspires me with its mission and what it accomplishes.

6: Be better to my body.
Treat my body better incrementally.
Sleep more, exercise regularly and eat healthier.

7: Concentrate on development.
Pick one topic that truly interests me, and dedicate 15 minutes each day to learning more about it.
Find a hobby I enjoy and devote time to it each week.

8: Be scared.
Do things that make me uncomfortable.
The most rewarding things are usually frightening at first.

9: Get a few things together.
Create a budget, and stick to it.
Be more organized, spending at least 30 minutes a day cleaning.
Redecorate my apartment, one room at a time.

A Look Back to Lessons Learned

In this post, Tavia recalls a few lessons learned over the past year ...

As Jaimy looks forward to the coming year and new beginnings, I'm taking a look back to remember some of my top lessons learned. In our weekly team meeting, we discuss challenges and triumphs and what we've taken away from them. Good or bad, we all learn from each other. Here are a few that I'd like to share.

A little praise goes a long way.

I'm not sure who brought this one up, but I couldn't agree more. As we work our tails off to get projects out the door, we sometimes forget to take a step back and let each other know what a great job has been done. A simple pat on the back from a coworker or a note from a client boosts self-esteem and morale. It puts pep into our attitude and makes us want to work harder to earn that same satisfaction on the next job. So give a shout out to the people you work with and let them know what a great job they are doing!

Try new things.

I was recently asked to match a specific illustration style for a client. Now, I love to color with crayons and sketch out layouts, but I'm not an illustrator by any means. To complicate matters, the drawings were going to be of people. Drawing inanimate objects is one thing, but illustrating people requires a special touch that I don't have. (Or at least didn't think I had.) I convinced myself to dive into the project and the characters actually turned out well. I was happily surprised by the outcome. So don't be afraid of new things. Jump in and give them a go!

Believe in your work.

Some design projects come in with tons of creative freedom, and others are completely spelled out by the time they reach me. I don't have a preference between the two, because each presents a unique set of challenges. What is important is that I put 100% into each job that I do. If I don't feel good about it or believe in it, no one else will. Most projects change and grow throughout the creative process, and I fight for things that I trust my instincts on. At the end of the day, your performance is a representation of you, so be proud of the work you do!

Communication is key.

This is one topic that appears on our radar frequently and affects each one of us differently. Since I work virtually, it's hard for me 'read' people through emails. I don't hear a person's tone or see their body language. I also can't feel the urgency of a looming deadline. This is when it's important to clearly communicate what the deadline is, when I can accomplish the work, and when the client will receive the finished project. It's a learning process, but I think everyone can benefit from effective communication.

We're in this together.

I have to say, I think we have a great team at Blue Door. And what I've come to realize is that what makes us great is that we're not perfect. But we are willing to take responsibility for our mistakes, learn from them and move on. Together. We all share our good moments as well as our not-so-good moments. And we are not afraid of our peers' reactions, because we know that they will learn just as much as we have from our personal experience. I am grateful to be a part of a team that supports my accomplishments as well as my downfalls.

Throughout 2010, there were many other lessons learned, but these were the ones that stuck out for me. I'm sure that 2011 will bring many more, so here's to learning and growing!

B2B is B2C

It may be heresy, but I'd like to challenge the notion that B2B and B2C are different. Thanks to social media, the lines which use to divide business and consumer no longer exist in my opinion. Today is a brave new world and our tactics and language should reflect that notion ...

One of the frequent comments we receive from our B2B clients is "I don't really need to use social media. Social media is directed to consumers. The businesses I'm marketing to aren't using Facebook."

Wrong. Your customers are using Facebook, just perhaps as individuals instead of as organizational entities.

Consider this: A 2010 Marketing Trends study by Marketing Executive Networking Group (MENG) featured social media statistics of its members. (Members are vice presidents or higher on the corporate food chain and make $160K or more - so clearly decision makers.) This study revealed that they are using the tools themselves on a weekly basis, with LinkedIn being used by 92% of respondents and Facebook by 56%.

Beyond that noteworthy statistic is also the fact that employees are equally, if not more so, engaged in social media. In many cases, they are brand ambassadors for companies; engaging in word of mouth marketing by making referrals and sharing information.

It's people who are responsible for the business that you are truly marketing to. You build relationships with people and that's what social media is ultimately about.