Game Face

I had tea with an associate of mine recently and he was shocked when I mentioned that I am an introvert. He and I know each other through the Boulder Chamber of Commerce where I attend many events and network with lots of people.

I explained that networking is part of my business and if I want to be successful at it, I need to put on my game face, get into character and be the extrovert that I want to be. Afterwards I generally need some down time to recharge and reset my energy.

I do not fake interest in speaking with people, but I do push myself to go out of my way to not be an introvert.

The awareness for today is to be the person you need to be for your business. It may not always be comfortable or easy, but like any professional, one must put in the work for the desired results.
~Paul

Happy Fouth of July!

I wish a very happy Independence Day to my American readers, friends and colleagues.

Enjoy the day off if you have it!
~Paul

Verfiy Charges!!!

I was looking over some financial statements of one of my clients and saw a large and unusual debit charge on their checking account. I questioned it and learned that my client was not even aware of it. Upon further investigation, I learned that it was for design work that was supposed to have been done, but never was completed; the work was started, then the account manager dropped the ball (and then left the company) and then nothing was ever completed. I made some calls and the charge should be reversed.

Often people laugh, or think that I am being anal, when I save ALL of my receipts. Yes, I can be anal, but with good reason. I always verify all charges to my credit cards and checking accounts against receipts. If I do not have a receipt, that definitely brings up a red flag and requires more research.

The awareness for today is to pay attention to any charges on your accounts. Verify that you have a receipt and that the charge is for the same amount as the receipt. If you do this on a monthly basis, it will not take very long to do. Trust me, it is worth it.
~Paul

Loss of Internet Access

I was quite frustrated today as my Internet access was unavailable for large chunks of the day. I went out and worked from a coffee shop for a bit, but that is definitely not the same as working in MY space.

It amazes me how dependent I have become on the Internet. I need to stay current with my e-mails and do research and if I do not have Internet access, a lot of my work simply cannot happen.

The awareness for today is to appreciate how the Internet has helped, but also to be aware of the dependency it has created. Hopefully you are not as bad as me!
~Paul