Advocating College Leadership Skills.

  Let's face it, college is tough. There are general education requirements and requirements within your own major. However, not all parts of college life are created equal. One of the experiences that you make sure you attain in school is some form of leadership role in any activity. In can be in any activity as long as you are able to describe your engagement with the club or sport and how you personally grew from these experiences. Why?

• Businesses are looking for future leaders.
• They want to know if you can organize a large project.
• They want to know if you can meet deadlines outside of class requirements.
• They want to know that you can work well with others.
• They want to know if you can stretch outside your comfort zone.
• Are you willing to take risks?
• Are you willing to take blame if something doesn't go well?
• Do you learn from mistakes and fix them for the future?

  The best point of all of these is whether or not you can lead people and still get along with them enough that they not only follow the guidelines of the project but are an asset to the completion of the project. That has to do with your leadership. Don't take collegiate leadership lightly, the experience may land you your dream job! 

No company is ever too big to deliver.

  Many of us who use Foursquare are becoming familiar with some of the new features. One of these features may be delivered by the company at which you are checking into for freebies or discounts. The setup on Foursquare makes it easier to retrieve tips left by other customers or clients and show you which of your friends may be nearby for a quick meetup.
  However, something very unexpected happened after my check-in at Panera. Here is my original tweet:

Amanda Wright ‏@Coffeegenius7h

Lunch! Chicken soup for the head cold with iced green tea. (at @PaneraBread) http://4sq.com/11NJIZM 

Here is the reply:

Panera Bread ‏@panerabread7h

@Coffeegenius Thanks for stopping by, Amanda. Hope the Chicken Noodle Soup helps your cold!

Can you say I was a bit floored by the response? If this is something that the company does regularly, use social media as a form of communication for customers in a personal way, no matter how big the company is, how awesome is that? This is a lesson I think all the local business owners can earn, including myself! Always keep connected with your clientele and make it personal! Thanks for the reminder, Panera!

Embracing My Inner Heretic

  Whew! Finally finished Tribes by Seth Godin. It is not a difficult read. As a matter of fact, it is written for people like me who maybe only have a few minutes here or there to read a few paragraphs. Between this book and Lead With Purpose, I have a better idea of which direction to head in.
  Are you tired of the status quo? So am I. Every business I have worked for has held to the status quo. I was never happy. I always felt like we could do more but was met with so much resistance, I did not change. I just carried on. I should have followed my gut instinct. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. I'm not doing it anymore.
  As a leader, my job is not only to remove obstacles but it is to let my colleagues use their brain. I want to learn from them and discuss, create, and drive. I surround myself with smart people, not just because I am in a college setting, but for their creativity and vitality. I like people who get excited about solving problems and showcasing their talents. So I have decided to let whomever is on my team go to it. I am only giving them a few seeds to think about so that they can have the freedom to do what they do best.
  My mom worked for a very small private school in New England for about ten years. Her experience was invaluable to me. It gave me an idea of what a real school should look like. The school was full of recitals, plays, science fairs, haunted houses, math-a-thons, and Harry Potter weeks. When they celebrated the holidays, every religion that attended the school was learned about, talked about, and celebrated. The school was designed to celebrate differences, not the status quo. My ultimate goal is to replicate something similar to this in Southwest Virginia. It represents true freedom to learn and the encouragement to color outside the lines.
  So far, the national education system is embracing Common Core Standards. I want my business to move beyond "standards." Standardization is just a long word for "status quo." We have been held to standards and endless testing since the inception of Every Child Left Behind and Race to Mediocrity. Oops, I meant No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. Here it is, I want to leave every system behind, in the dust. We can do better. We owe it to our children. We owe it to our community to leave better people behind to grow. How will I do this? Do you want to sit there and find out? Or would you rather we meet over coffee and have an honest discussion of how we can improve? I know you, my readers, wish you could change this and that. Some of you are working your rears off. To the rest of you, what are you waiting for?
  The Common Core is a lot more difficult than other standards from our educational past. However, the definition of each individual learner in the public school system is being compared to test scores. STILL. I would like to see more digital portfolios used for students. Quite a few high schools are using digital portfolios to showcase their students. I am sure many colleges are no longer just looking at grades and test results. They want to know the students. They want to know the capability of the learner. Every student is capable of learning and it is our responsibility to develop and deepen their understanding of the world around them.
  We need more project-based learning in urban school systems. Many students are entering community colleges under-prepared and overwhelmed. From what I have been hearing along the grapevine is that these students graduate from community college ill-prepared for four year universities. Some community colleges do a really good job in preparation, overshoot the intended goal, and send students to four year institutions better prepared than the students who spent their first two years on the larger campus.
  I don't like the words systems and institutions. It signifies conformity. Hence why my first goal is to develop an education resource center. When I think of a center, I think of collaborative work groups. I think of activity, a buzzing of ordered chaos. I see students, tutors, parents, and teachers interacting, proactively, with one another. I see a tribe. This scene is playing in my head and I want to dive right in and get to work!

Creating Vision that Your Tribe Believes In

  I have been reading several books lately. A few education-based and a few business-based. I have completely finished Lead With Purpose and I am in the middle of Tribes by Seth Godin. Then it hit me. I need to stop thinking about it and just do. Now what do I mean by that? Where does my vision lie? What is my movement? 

• Idealistic but tangible. The whole point behind my business is not to just be an educational resource center but to create a movement within the system of education. This is based on personal experience of volunteering and being my mom's cheerleader for twenty years. It is also based on my own personal experience in the public and private school systems, whether they were in urban cities or suburbia. We are selling out our children to the lowest educational bidder only to pay through the roof in terms of quality of life for our future.

We need to change the way we teach and learn. We need to lead a new paradigm shift that says no to the usual "standardized testing" and yes to the ability to develop free thinkers, problem solvers, and creative geniuses. We need an Educational Renaissance. I am leading this revolution. Will you join me? 

• There are no mistakes, only learning experiences. This statement alone should free us from the fear of the unknown. Very little is known. We cannot predict the future yet we can absolutely direct it!

My intent is to empower students, parents, and teachers with knowledge and self-confidence to overcome standardized testing and mediocre public education policies around the world. We will challenge the status quo and demand better from our local and federal governments. We will let our teachers use the training that they received in college to educate our children. We will advocate the understanding that it takes a village to raise a child within every community. 

• Active community engagement in the process has to happen. I am finding a lot of push back with every organization wanting to be in absolute control and wanting to do their own thing. The fact is, that is only managing, it has nothing to do with leading. Organizations are just managing but are not providing the leadership and vision that the community is craving.

 Are you craving something better from your community? So am I and I cannot and will not do it alone. I need you. I need your creativity and your drive and your vision to aid in this venture out of mediocrity. If you are as tired of it as I am, let's talk and figure out ways we can benefit each other!

  There you have it. I have a vision of an Educational Renaissance beginning in every community. This kind of Renaissance touches all areas in a community. It helps create cultural plans that further deepen the connections people have within the community and the surrounding area. Quality education drives business and allows it to thrive, even in the harshest conditions. Instead of playing armchair internet commando, we need to get out there and get it done!  

 

Social Media Pet Peeves II: Pics

  Yep, people are at it again! After a post by Interconnectivity Marketing, a marketing consulting firm, and I had an online chat and a face-to-face chat. She does great work in teaching small businesses how to market themselves and how to create a team player atmosphere with each other, something that I have been learning about recently. She notes that you have to have a clear direction in the way you market, not only yourself but for others! Being paid for a service can be tricky and you have to make sure that you can deliver, especially if you are taking on multiple businesses as clients. If any of the below applies to you, do not take it personally, but please adjust as quickly as possible because I believe it will hurt your business' integrity in the long run.

• Let's talk pics.
• No time/date stamp please! It looks like you don't understand how to use your equipment and if it is a picture of a product and the picture is shared, it will date the product. You want the product to be shown as classic as possible. Fashion trends have dates, not pictures. 
• Make sure it is absolutely the best picture possible. I often take 10-20 pictures of one item until I am happy with the quality. Sure, sometimes things are off the cuff, but if it is for a paying client make sure the public can see what the camera is focusing on!
• When taking pictures of people, make sure that it is their best side and that they are smiling! Customers want to see happy owners and workers!

Don't date your work!

What is this? Keep focused!

Business Leadership: Lead With Purpose

  I am just hitting what is probably the most important chapter in this book, Making Ambiguity Comfortable by Leading with Purpose. So far, I have been highly impressed with this book for a few reasons.

·         I agree with the author and have been able to reference past experience with a deeper understanding of his points.

o   I have been out of the retail industry for almost four years and did my bosses really screw things up at various times. My managers were not that much different than Steve Carrell’s character from “The Office.” I could see sparks or indicators that my managers had the capability to lead with purpose but had many excuses as to why they could not. Most of them pointing back to the District Manager who was so far removed from the regular employee that many ran to the dark corners of the store to avoid him. I did not. However, I remember the day the district manager came into the store and I had not been allowed to go to lunch. I had been there since 5 AM. It was now 1 PM. In the state of Virginia, not being allowed to have a break after 6 hours of work is a violation of state regulations. I am also hypoglycemic, which means that I became nauseous and the situation perpetuated a migraine that sent me to bed at 5 PM that night. Within a week, I went and picked up a note from my doctor reinforcing regular breaks to deal with my blood sugar levels. Pretty extreme, huh?

o   The same district manager has volunteered to be part of an experimental program. They gave two options to full-time employees; severance package or part-time hours with no guarantee of pay or hours. This particular district has no more full-time employees except salaried managers. What a blow to morale! To know that you are not valued by upper management! This is the way retail has been heading for the past thirty years, reduction of benefits paid to employees. There is no such thing as a career in retail anymore. I can’t wait until they try part-time leadership.

·         I can see how the principles in this book should be used in education.

o   Standardized testing has created poor leaders who, with training, could be highly successful. We know that merit pay does not work, Lead with Purpose points this out. The book also points out that the role of the leader is to provide resources and remove obstacles. Many school leaders do not remove obstacles and they provide mandatory resources. I have heard a teacher friend complain recently that she was forced to attend a workshop on using Pinterest in the elementary classroom. Pinterest is so easy to use, that I thought it was a waste. Why not teach teachers how to use Pinterest to show off their work? Or some other form of social media that can be used in conjunction with their portfolio? Why not teach them how to use Google+ hangouts to reach high risk students? Wouldn’t that be more important? By the way, I love Pinterest. My only problem with it is that it lacks middle school and high school resources. Leaders in school systems need to focus on creating simplicity for teachers.

·         I am learning to deal with ambiguity.

o   This is a tough one for many people. Why? Because we like to see the whole journey ahead of us. We like to know where we are going. That our purpose is being carried out. However, we don’t see the cracks that trip us or the potholes we can fall into. Then there are the occasional dead ends, forks, and construction work that we run into. It’s like a game of Candyland. We can see the end, we know how to get there, but the next card we turn over may not be how we thought it would work. It’s alright to lose, to fail, to learn. I don’t remember any successes that I have ever had that did not incorporate the ability to fail first. Failing is part of life. Get up, dust yourself off, and get back in there! What has helped is understanding my purpose and falling back to my purpose to review and renew my commitment. I may use a different tactic but it always has my original goal attached to it. For example, I came to the realization a few weeks ago that I cannot remain local as a company. My blogs reach several different countries and I am realizing that I have an audience outside my locality. Because of this, I have decided to create online resources that can be purchased and downloaded so that I can remain relevant to my followers while building local reputation.

  

  The book is due back at the library by Saturday. It is not a difficult read and is broken up with the intent that the person reading it may only have 15 minutes of free time here and there. I have already created a PowerPoint to illustrate my purpose and goals for a project that I would like to have completed well before back-to-school season. Now, I am off to do more research! Have a wonderfully driven day!

My Best Career Mistake: Becoming an HR Representative

  I really love LinkedIn this week as folks brutally honest write about their experiences in the wide, wide world of business. I will describe to you what I feel was the best mistake I ever made.
  One of the many times that I worked for a large retail store, a position became available that I thought would give me a break from the general public and allow for me to learn the actual administration of business. I saw it as a stepping stone into the upper echelons of my chosen career field.
  It was a lead position for the store I was working for at the time. I thought it could really put my people skills to use behind the scenes. I had already been a sales associate for ten years and thought that it would be a great change. These are some of the blunders that I made:

• I thought I would be a real voice for the associates. Little did I realize that the sole purpose of my position was to protect corporate interests concerning federal regulation.
• I was performing duties that had nothing to do with Human Resources. My team had to worry about the cash office, deliveries through a third party company, tax season, etc. It was just a plain mess!
• Very little interaction with people. I had no problem of not dealing with the public anymore but my office was a very lonely place. Even after training, I very rarely saw the employees until they needed me. 
• I detested the paperwork. Every office job has paperwork monsters, including education. But this was far from the paper monsters I wanted to be a part of. 
• I did not have a backbone. I soon realized that there were some very difficult decisions and situations that I had to be a part of. From firing people to sending them for random drug tests to telling them they could not work until they had a new green card. While this job helped me grow a spine, I took many of these situations to heart and you cannot have that as an HR manager for a large corporation. 

  Within a year, I went back to my old job for a different company with all this knowledge of what it was like to be on the other side. I felt very lucky to have seen and experienced both sides of the fence. My personal growth was phenomenal during that time frame and I feel it makes me a better leader for my own small enterprise. 

Asking for Feedback

  I need to point out a component of a business that is often overlooked. Feedback. Most major companies use surveys or feedback forms as a necessary part of the business. It helps them evaluate their employees and gauge their effect on the local community. Yet, many of us forget to include this as part of our service. Is it because we might be afraid of criticism? You shouldn't be, it's business.
  Remember in grade school when teachers had this huge section for comments? Have you ever worked for a large company and received a yearly review? What is great about getting feedback is that it is not yearly, but almost immediate gauge to the quality of your business. After all, you want to be better than your competition, right?
  Think about it. The next time you send out a personalized "Thank You" card, why not include a postcard (self-addressed and stamped, of course) with a few questions about the service (scaled 1 to 5) and a blank space for comments. That gives you feedback and gives the customer some anonymity when filling it out. If there is a problem and you know who the customer is, follow up! Sending an apology or a coupon for a future service may suffice and allow you to keep your client.
  Yeah, it's work, but so is gaining a new customer! Friends talk, and they will talk about your service to a friend. Don't make it a so-so experience, give them a reason to love you!

Integrity in Social Media

  I am no different from the next person. I enjoy spending time on the internet for personal reasons. We know that there are some really awesome things on the internet and then there are sites and fan pages that are truly disgusting.
  Late last night, through a Facebook friends' post, I discovered that the students from a local college had created a completely immature and possibly hurtful fan page. This page allows people to make their feelings known, anonymously about each other. While it may look like fun, there are several issues with this kind of blatant irresponsibility.

• Ethical Issues
• By naming a person someone has a crush on may seem innocent, it can make the recipient extremely uncomfortable with the feeling that anyone they come across may have emotions for them on a certain level that they are not willing to reciprocate. 
• The College's name is in the title of the fan page, linking them to this kind of internet activity that the administration may find "unbecoming."
• It show lack of maturity and understanding of the use of social media on the internet.
• Legal Issues
• Libel and Slander: It may not seem obvious, at first, but whether or not something is meant as a compliment can be misconstrued. 
• Sexual Harassment: This is a big one that will get any company or institution in trouble. In a way, these are unwanted advances and very public. I have seen cases go to trial over smaller issues or very innocent circumstances. 

While it may seem like fun, these young adults lack the "netiquette" that comes with experience. I hope colleges are paying attention! You need to monitor this kind of activity closely!

Chasing Mediocrity.

  

 We send a number of mixed messages to our youth. We tell them to shoot for the sky but to remember their limitations. We guide them to be an individual as long as they fit in. We encourage them to take risks but not too risky or too many. If all those messages are not confusing enough, we tell them to think for themselves and then tell them what to think. Support the originality in your kids and yourselves. -Dr. Kevin

  I know, what a title! I cannot help but think about the future of our commerce when we are not teaching children to strive for excellence.
  Some of you may disagree. However, with No Child Left Behind and the dumbing down of America through corporate standardized testing, I am aware of how this will effect the future workforce. As a matter of fact, we are already beginning to see the effects.
  Mind you, there are some shining star youth who are very fortunate to escape this mediocrity loophole but the window of opportunity is narrowing. Why am I calling it a chase for mediocrity? Because this chase for mediocrity is pervading our business practices, ethics, and potential.
  We should be striving for excellence, not just test scores. Those of us who have lived in the real world understand that test scores are useless. However, all corporate America does is chase down numbers. Things like sales numbers, budget numbers, cost effectiveness numbers. Corporate culture has forgotten that there are real people behind these numbers. They have bought out full-time, loyal workers in favor of saving costs which forces them to take a severance package for the short term or drop to part-time employment. The jobs are fewer because many people have had to take at least two part time positions and still not make the money to maintain their quality of life before the layoff.
  Then you have people, like me, who refuse to play the corporate game and strike it out on their own. While I would not mind being hired as a subcontractor, I don't want to be pinned to one corporate's culture. Many of us are building small businesses like our forefathers did many moons and seasons ago. We may not have a lot of money behind us, but we are, for the most part, happy. You really cannot put a price on happiness.
  So what does this have to do with chasing mediocrity? What I fear is creating a culture of drones. People without imagination or creativity. This does not move America's commerce. What used to put us at the forefront was innovation. We are innovators. But if we are not teaching creativity or innovation, will we stay number one in the world? Bad news folks, we have already slipped. And you can see it in the education system.
  When I first began working for an office supply store giant years ago, my boss and our department was always chasing down numbers. However, we were always striving for excellence at the same time. This may have had something to do with the awesome District Manager we had who also strove for excellence. When DM's had changed hands, the game changed. Under this particular leadership, we learned that we were better off flying under the radar. Don't be the top dog and don't be the bottom dog, get in the middle of the pack because there is safety in numbers.That is when I knew I was done with that version of retail forever.
  This same mentality is robbing our school systems of truly embracing excellence. Granted, there are some superintendents that are all about excellence. However, the larger the school system, the more about numbers it becomes. Race to the Top/NCLB has become the worst kind of game ever, a game of numbers in school systems, it is the incorporation of school systems.
  The point I am trying to make is this, that you, the small business owner, need to be involved. Tutor one afternoon a month, attend school board and town council meetings, become a mentor, or sponsor events that allows you to open up the eyes of the children in your community. I have friends that are already heavily involved and invested in the local culture. They introduce kids to entrepreneurship and they plan arts events open to the public.
  The above quote says it all. Teach excellence in all things and strive for excellence in yourself!

Social Media Pet Peeves

  I have been known to be the "grammar police" on the internet. I try to do it as little as possible. But there are two things that drive me crazy from the marketing perspective that everyone should go take a look at. Right now. These two tips are game changers in the value of your business and creating a good rapport with future clients.

 1. The No Picture Profile. I see a lot of accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google, and even Facebook without profile pictures. My question is, why are you setting up an account and not attending to it? Especially LinkedIn! I have seen several accounts that have not uploaded a profile pic. I will tell you what this may have clients, other business, and future employers saying about your profile!

• I'm unattractive. Uhm, no, you're not. I want to know what you look like should I decide to meet with you! It is rather difficult to keep this image in my head and look for The Shadow in the crowd. Even if you don't like photographs, at least put up an avatar!
• You don't take yourself seriously. That is bad from the get-go. No profile pic is an alert to me that you don't spend enough time on your marketing campaign. Heck, do you even have one??? 
• Lack of self-confidence. If you are showcasing yourself anywhere on the internet, be proud of who you are and what you stand for! 

2. The 80/20 Rule. I don't see enough businesses following this rule enough. So, what is it? Promote others 80% of the time, promote yourself 20% of the time. This is how you build a reputation, by reaching out to others, and promoting their best content that is valuable to your audience. If you have a business that supports healthy living through a product that you sell, why not share content on exercising? Or healthy eating habits? When you constantly barrage your followers with ads, people start hiding your news feed (bad!) or stop following altogether (even worse!). You want to build an audience that makes you relevant. Not just by likes or comments, but by shares. If people are sharing your content, it deepens your reach to people who would never see your business otherwise! 

Maybe I am beating a dead horse here. But the whole point of marketing your business is to build relationships. Think about it! 

Wild Weather Will Effect Local Economies

  As we near the end of January, all I can think of is how wild the weather has been! We know how much serious weather effects our personal lives but do we ever consider how much it hurts local business and industry? I am thinking back to the two snowstorms we have already had. Not only were schools and government centers closed but businesses were as well. While everyone likes an occasional day off, being closed or reducing hours for even 4-5 days out of the month is serious. It seems as though the only businesses that are benefiting are grocery stores and gas stations. 

It's snow wonder businesses are closing! Can we blame wacky weather?

  Take a look at your personal spending habits this past month. Where is your money going? For many of you, it is not small businesses. If it is, congrats and thanks for your support! Now look at the days of the month you spent your money and with whom. Notice a trend? It's not hard to spot. However, it helps you become self-aware of your habits. 

  When businesses have to shutter stores due to, well nowadays, even the threat of rain, that is hurtful to local economics. If it's a simple rainstorm, go visit these folks as they sit in their business wondering where everyone is. If no one is buying, then the state and community is not collecting taxes. Taxes help the community pay for projects that the residents feel are necessary. It is a small way to make an investment in the community. If you donate to local causes often, encourage others to do so. Many non-profits are not making it either. 

  If it is threatening a major wind storm, like today, I completely understand why you would stay in. But let's make an honest effort to patronize our locals as much and as often as we can! 

Why Salem needs to take a lesson from Roanoke City

 Sweet Pete's Yogurt and Tinkerings is among the many businesses that have tried to set up shop in Salem only to close within a year. Main Street, Salem, is dotted with open and vacant buildings. This is not an encouraging sight for prospective businesses. That is not to say that Roanoke City doesn't experience the same fluctuation. However, Roanoke has been working very hard to revive it's downtown area. Here is the reason why I see Roanoke City thriving over the next few years and where the collective of councilmen in charge of Salem and the community need to dig deeper.

• Businesses can see improvements downtown. That's a big one. The City is pouring their efforts into the culture and quaint vibe of the area to improve foot traffic. 
• They have a plan! This is the most important contribution to the success of a community! Find out what people want, do your research, and implement a plan to give businesses a reason to continue working in your community.
• They support people who support them. Even if they cannot monetarily support businesses, they are encouraging role models and encourage others to support them.
• They place importance on diversity and culture. Roanoke City places importance on the diversity of its' people and welcome new comers to town with open arms. I have not quite felt that same warmth from the townspeople unless they are like me, from outside Salem. That alone will keep businesses away from Salem.

  Another component that seems to be overlooked is the fact that Roanoke Doesn't Suck moved into town, in addition to an existing page called Main Street Salem. This cannot be done for free and it needs to worked on a full-time basis to make these pages successful. There are resources already in the community for City Councilmen to take advantage of and support. It is essential that the councilmen become more involved.

Social Media Typecasting

  Besides needing a plan of attack and policy for your social media marketing, you need to identify the best use of your employees to deliver your message. These key ingredients can be boiled down as tasks to the social media manager or distributed to the right people in your office environment. Take a look at the list below:

• The Blogger. This person has strong skills in communicating and might be able to get into words the message you wish to convey. This person will have a strong understanding of grammar and the English language but will not be afraid to take risks. 
• The Broadcaster. This person delivers all of your social media content across all the sites. This is the techno geek who walks around the office glued to her iPhone.
• The Connector. This is the person who has a seemingly never-ending supply of people to talk to and knows everyone. This is your social butterfly. They can gather and disseminate information to the appropriate people for best delivery of message and content. 
• The Creator. This is the person who daydreams and comes up with wacky new ways to connect with your customer. In today's market, you need to be memorable and even a bit kitschy at times. Guaranteed fun!

There are only four types listed here. What would you add to this list? I hope to modify it as more ideas come through!

Resolutions for your business?

  I have already talked about my personal feelings of resolutions on my personal blog. Since I worked retail for so long, I will share with you why small businesses should not try anything new in the upcoming year.

1. Constant focus shift can harm more than it can help. Review what worked. Think deep about why those things worked. If you are not finished with projects that you began, make it a goal to continue working on them. It's ok to be ADHD, as a person, not as a business. Jot your list of things that worked and figure out how you will implement them on continuing projects. 
2. Trash what did not work, at all. I find social media marketing does not always work. I find not breaking down big projects into little steps does not work. I find being overwhelmed does not work. The moment you feel overwhelmed, re-evaluate, or enlist help. Better yet, back-burner the idea until you have the resources that you need to make it work. 
3. Take long term goals, break them down, and accomplish at least one step each day. This reminds me that I really need a good, big, desk calendar blotter. It helps give you the big picture, somewhat literally, of what it will take to get there. Let's say you have a major goal that you want to accomplish by June. Start with the end of the goal and work your way back to now. You may find it easier to handle. It will also ensure that the time frame is do-able. 
4. Make collaboration the key to your business. Collaborate with new people. Collaborate with the enemy. Collaborate with like-minded friends. I see 2013 as a year of major growth, mentally, but only if you want it. 2012 was very divisive. I don't care if you have personal problems with the way someone thinks. It is all the more reason you should learn from them. If you know yourself and are comfortable with who you are then what is the problem with hanging out with people who are not like you? 
5. Don't be quick to judge. This goes for people and situations. Take a step back. Is it really your concern? Is it really your problem? There is nothing wrong with sitting back and watching. I often grab a box of popcorn when watching my friends on Facebook because a lot of people create their own drama. Watch it unfold. You will learn more. 
6. Support others, for free. Make it your way of giving back to the community. You don't always have to get something out of someone. Support your local people, paying or not. You can't build a tribe sitting behind a computer. Sometimes you have to go out and spend face time with them. Share their content even if it is not one of your interests. Supporting the community brings many returns in the form of references and good old word of mouth marketing. People like to talk just make sure that it is not always about yourself.