Summer's Over

 

With the RNC in full swing out my back door (literally) all of last week, I nearly forgot to wish you a Happy Labor Day!  So here we are 2 days into our 4 day work week after the holiday weekend, but my wish for you is the same - Happy Labor Day!

 

It's easy to forget what Labor Day's really about. It marks the end of summer vacations and reminds us to pack up our white jeans and shoes, except here in Florida of course, and settle back into a more regular work schedule.  School buses roll making traffic a little heavier and you can feel the general sense of "let's get back to work".  But the end of summer isn't really what Labor Day is all about. It's a holiday that stands for the work we do.  Over 100 years ago Labor Day was first celebrated and dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It's a tribute to the contributions we have all made towards the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. No matter where you travel, Americans are recognized by their work ethic. Like me, aren't you amazed to see what we create, how we collaborate, innovate and build businesses? Isn't it cool to think that each of us represents the driving force of this economy? But with the official Labor Day behind us remember to continue to take strength from the incredible work we do, the long days and nights fueled by energy drinks and coffee and give ourselves and each other virtual "high-fives" and pats on the back. I hope you took a break this weekend and celebrated with friends and family. You deserved it. So yes, summer is officially over and it's time to fast forward into the last 4 months of 2012.  As you do so, take a few minutes and write that paragraph that we all did when we were in school.

 

Feel free to call this - Confessions of a Business Person - What I Did During My Summer Vacation.  Take 30 minutes and create a list. A list of what you accomplished this summer and a list of what you didn't accomplish this summer. I guarantee you if you agree to write down 10 things you'll get insight and the list will help you plan for the rest of the year.  There's a good chance it'll even help you plan your summer vacation next year.  

 

Remember, the list shouldn't just be about whether you are successful in meeting sales quotas, generating revenue or completing projects; because although those are all part of the equation, we are not just our bottom lines. We are much more and it takes us being much more to have successful bottom lines.  We need to look at our core ethics, our values and the impact that they have on the kind of people we meet along the way and the types of relationships we create and nurture.  If this recession has taught us nothing else, it is taught us the value of being able to rely on one another. The age-old concept of "people do business with people they know and like" has never been stronger.  So, as you write your list be sure to include on the accomplishments the people that you met this summer in some of your travels.  Here's a couple of things from my list to get you thinking:

• I put more effort in learning piano.
• I created a new roundtable discussion for commercial real estate professionals.
• I launched a complete rewrite of one of our software products.
• I worked with our new Director of Marketing to fully redesign our web presence to increase service to our customers and prospects in a whole new way.
• I realized that while I need and have great sales people, no one can sell our products and services as well as I can.  Again.
• I created flexibility in my work schedule.
• Learned a lot about the benefits and shortcomings of working with "virtual" teams and the role of face to face communication.

Just like in school I hope you'll share your "What I did on my summer vacation" with us!

   

I welcome your feedback through email.  

 

Destination Maternity Corp. trades as A Pea in a Pod, Motherhood Maternity, Destination Maternity and Motherhood Maternity Outlet at 658 locations nationwide and in Canada and internationally. The stores, offering women's maternity apparel and accessories, occupy spaces of 1,500 sq.ft. to 8,000 sq.ft. in freestanding locations, malls and lifestyle, outlet, power, specialty and strip centers, as well as urban/downtown areas. Growth opportunities are sought nationwide during the coming 18 months.For more information, contact Edward Tress, Destination Maternity Corp., 456 North 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Pinkberry operates over 120 locations throughout CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, LA, MA, NC, NY, RI, TN, TX, and VA as well as internationally. The frozen yogurt shops prefer to occupy spaces of 1,000 sq.ft. in streetfronts, lifestyle centers and urban/downtown areas. Growth opportunities are sought throughout New England during the coming 18 months, with representation by Bialow Real Estate, LLC. The company prefers to locate in highly visible sites with a dense population and heavy pedestrian traffic. For more information, contact Andrew Jaffe, Bialow Real Estate, LLC, 200 Highland Avenue, Suite 401, Needham, MA 02494