For your own personal brand, consider this fact – your next opportunity will come through someone you know or a personal connection. So, what are you doing to build the group of influential people for your career, for your friendships, for your love relationships, and more. Consider tracking back on one of your important career moves. Did someone in your network of acquaintances, friends, or family members tell you about the opportunity, refer you or give a reference? What about …

At a party this weekend, a friend was showing me photos on her tablet taken by her niece who “used to be a photojournalist” and now photographs weddings. The friend explained that the newspaper she worked for laid her off with the decline in readership and subsequent revenue. This was poignant on several levels. First, the friend used a tablet to show me the photos which is a new communication tool. Second, the loss of a newspaper job due to …

If you have goals that you’re having trouble achieving, you might need to shift your discussion of them in your mind.  Because every action is preceded by a thought, it is important to consider if you are actually pouring cold water on your hot goals and getting lukewarm results! Recently, in listening to the audio book, 100 Ways to Create Wealth by Steve Chandler and Sam Beckford, a suggestion they have is to change “I need” to “I want.” Their …

When Almost Famous: How to Market Yourself for Success was published in 1996, it was popular with my generation, Boomers. Interestingly, after listening to Ken Gronbach author of “The Age Curve” talk about the upcoming competition for jobs by Gen Y, it hit me between the eyes. Gen X didn’t need my book because for every 10 Boomers moving up in an organization, there were only 8 Gen X-ers to take the jobs. They got signing bonuses and elevated salaries …

In an article in the Money section of USNews.com, author Lindsay Olson cited this statistic, “According to a recent survey by Reppler, more than 90 percent of recruiters will check on you on social media sites.” So, it really does matter what your personal brand looks like online! Here are some quick tips: Set up Google Alerts. Use this free tool for your name to know where and when your name is mentioned. This also helps you to know if …

When you want to get creative to market yourself, whether with a better written resume, new topics for a personal blog, coining interesting posts on Facebook or Twitter, or updating your LinkedIn profile, remember creativity is like a muscle. It has to be exercised and given freedom to go outside the lines. Here are several ways to allow your more linear thinking habits to take a break: Brainstorm with a friend or co-worker Rearrange your desk Drive a different way …

According to the Discover U.S. Spending MonitorSM , sixty-one percent of consumers are   heading into the holiday season planning to spend less on holiday gifts compared to 2010. So, how can you make it a “Happy” Holiday? Push more marketing activities!  Offering a holiday loan?  Reduced rate on credit card purchases? Maybe no payments for 90 days for an auto loan?  Think that no one does anything during the holidays?  Well, for busy, stressed-out consumers, the holidays offers a little …

By Guest Blogger, Sarah Becker Being in the middle of wedding planning, it is amazing how many companies target women for wedding products and services. Attending a bridal show recently, every vendor had chances to win prizes for my contact information. Everything from a speedy cash company, teeth whitening, real estate agency, Costco, florists, venues, restaurants, dresses and tuxes plus much more. The key was obviously to get my email and address because the vendors know that I’m definitely going …