It takes a lot of work to figure out what your company stands for and it’s core competencies. Just because someone doesn’t like what you say or what you offer, doesn’t mean you should change.* Find the people who LIKE what you stand for and what you do – they are your people. The others? Let them go – you don’t want to work with them anyway.

*Ok, if EVERYONE you meet with says you are a moron and offer crap, perhaps you should reconsider.

I don’t have a whole lot of time to fool around with social media. Facebook and MySpace seemed a little narcissistic and I really never felt the urge to open the kimono to the world at large. Twitter, well, I’m not sure anyone really cares what I am doing on any given second – but I am still thinking of how I might use it.

LinkedIn, however, has proven to be a very interesting tool – I have had more interesting conversations with more CEOs and business leaders – throughout this year I found it incredibly helpful to share experiences with those running companies and hear their survival strategies and tactics.

Now I have people “watching” what I am reading – commenting on my blog, asking questions, answering questions that I have posted – and quite a few folks who I worked with in the past who have gotten back in touch with me.  I’ve found a whole community of bright people with incredibly diverse backgrounds, who are delighted to think about my problems/challenges and share their viewpoints with me – and people who will happily connect you to anyone you want to meet.

And what is even more amazing – I asked to connect to Barack Obama today – how cool is that? It will be interesting to see how he uses social media to keep connected to Americans – I would think he would want to tap into our collective thinking – and I sent him a note to encourage him to do just that.

I put my American flag in front of my house for the first time in two years – I feel real hope for America for the first time in a long time. Hope is an essential ingredient to move forward – as a country and to get the economy moving. We are seeing signs that things are getting done in our industry again – the 4th quarter is going gangbusters and 2009 is looking fantastic.
Here are the lessons I learned in 2008:

• Find a message that resonates and stick with it
• Clearly be able to articulate what you do and why it matters to your clients
• Find a niche so that people know what to call and ask for
• Cash is more important than your mother
• Believe in yourself and your company – if you don’t, no one else will either
• If you innovate in tough times, you will stand out – most companies will play it safe
• Save money, another rainy day will come
• Ask for help – you’d be surprised how eagerly people respond

Surviving is good – thriving is so much better.

Yep, the economy sucks – we all know it.  But when the times get tough, the tough start innovating.  History has shown that the ones who can see the opportunities, buckle down and think are the ones who make it.   And if everyone around you is boo-hooing and wringing their hands, and you stand up with ideas, that alone makes you stand out.  So, wipe your tears and start thinking – and VOTE…it’s the only way things change for the better.