If last week was my time to be whiny, this week is all about gratitude and celebrating forward progress.
Today I am going to name names. I am going to tell you about a handful of people who read my cry for help last week and responded with generosity and some great ideas, as well as encouragement and commiseration.
Thank you. Thank you to all of those who read me, understand me, and took a moment to reach out. Here are some folks I want to tell you about specifically.
Mary Beth Smith—My guess would be the minute she read my blog, she picked up the phone to call me to give me a boost. And she also asked me to sit on the Market Your Printing Company panel at GRAPH EXPO (which was so awesome)—I will be writing more about that experience in future blogs.
Patrick Whelan—I’ve never met you, Patrick, and I suppose that in some weird way we may actually consider ourselves competitors. But, in a community of folks who look out for each other, you let me know you understood me and that I was not alone. And I think that is often one of the most comforting things to know as a human being; that you are not the only one going through ANY difficulty.
Dean Petrulakis—I have been a fan of Rider Dickerson for years, and was lucky to meet Dean a few years back when he invited me to attend their Print Forum, which I "covered" for Printing Impressions. We have sat down to a few breakfasts together, to swap ideas and observations, and commiserate about what we both see happening in this industry. Most recently we sat down last week after I reached out to him and he offered me some really great feedback and ideas as to how to get my practice back on track. Dean, you ROCK!
Brian Rothschild—The best compliment I have yet to hear, with regard to my blogging, is "You are SO MEAN! You are the nicest mean person I have ever met." Brian, you flatter me, and I will continue to strive to give you all a kick in the ass when I think you need it. In fact, stand back, because after this year's GRAPH EXPO, I am inspired to do all kinds of ass kicking.
Bev Burger—I have known Bev for years, and have always admired her upward trajectory. A full decade younger than me, she has carved out a place for herself in this business, because she has worked hard, is super smart, and has earned every bit of the success that she has. You inspire me, Burgerface, and I was so happy to see you at GRAPH EXPO. Thank you for your support and help.
So I guess that’s it for my gushing for this week. I am inspired, fired up, and ready to go kick it.
Thanks to each and every one of you who has ever read my blog, called me, hired me, or is going to hire me in the future!
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
- Companies:
- Rider Dickerson
Blogger, author, consultant, coach and all around evangelist for the graphic arts industry, Kelly sold digital printing for 15 years so she understands the challenges, frustrations and pitfalls of building a successful sales practice. Her mission is to help printers of all sizes sell more stuff. Kelly's areas of focus include sales and marketing coaching, enabling clients to find engagement strategies that work for them and mentoring the next generation of sales superstars.
Kelly graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science and, among other notable accomplishments, co-founded the Windy City Rollers, a professional women's roller derby league. She is also the mother of two sets of twins under the age of ten, so she fears nothing.