The pre-holiday, new business window was quickly closing and a slow few weeks were on the horizon. At least that’s what Jeanne Alexander thought. The owner of Advertising Specialties & Art Unlimited saw that her calendar was far less crowded than usual and decided that she had a couple choices as how to spend her pre-Christmas work time.
The first option was to just pack it in and wait for the new year. And given the overall economic climate both here and elsewhere, I bet there would have been a less-than-festive mix of worry, self-doubt and apprehension involved.
Option two, she said, would be to step back, take the focus off herself and see what she could do to help the business people she knows through her extensive network of contacts -- a network I watch her carefully and skillfully nurture throughout the year.
Not surprisingly to anyone who knows her (or senses that this topic would have far less impact otherwise), Jeanne decided to make calls, connect people she thought might benefit from each other and execute her own economic stimulus plan the old-fashioned way. And she did it simply because she thought it was the right thing to do.
That’s it. In the face of economic upheaval, Jeanne remembered that being successful in business is about more than bolstering your own bottom line – it is about serving others when possible to build a community of success that benefits everybody. Putting others before yourself. Not a bad concept to hang your hat on.
The funny thing is that those three weeks Jeanne was looking forward to spending in relative calm turned out to be slammed with business. Her business. She never ended up with a break at all.
Jeanne shared this story with our Chamber Leads Group last week to encourage us in networking and generating referrals for each other. She inspired us, and I hope it inspires you.
Learn more about what Jeanne does at www.AdSpec-Art.com.
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