Presidents Day

Yesterday was a Holiday for me and my family. It was nice to have a day off and I had promised everyone I would take the day off, I mean really off. No computer and no phone for one day. It is really nice to have a day with no electronic interference once in a while. I love my life and I love my work, both the consulting work that I do as well as the skin care.

But on this day, I took advantage of the day to sleep in a little and spend some quiet time reflecting. I was thinking about Presidents. Makes sense to think of Presidents since it was a day to celebrate the birth George Washington, our first President. My thoughts also drifted to the title of President as it pertains to business. Hard not to think of commerce given the current state of the economy. But rather than clutter my mind with pondering on the negative CEO’s and Presidents we see in the news, I was thinking in terms of the people that have most influenced me and that I admire.

As I thought on the subject, I realized that I have always been surrounded by CEO’s of entrepreneurial companies. I thought about the lessons that each one has taught me through the years. Knowing them over the years has helped me tremendously in preparing and launching my own company and due to their pioneering spirit; I had every confidence that I could do it before I ever filed my corporate papers.

Annette has had her own company for a very long time. She started out on her own cleaning homes and gradually added a few staff to her team. Over the years she worked hard, developed a great client base, and as a result has created a lifestyle that I honestly envy. There are very few countries she has not traveled to for vacations. Seems every other month she is off on a new adventure of some sort. She did not get there overnight. She worked hard to earn the lifestyle she now enjoys. The main lesson I learned from her is to build your business one step at a time and build solid relationships with your customers. Be realistic in the goals you set out to achieve and when it is time, take the time to relax and enjoy.

Carol I have known for many years and I have always had a deep appreciation for her wisdom and compassion for people. We also share a passion for protecting the environment. She is an author of several books and is the founder of Green Career Central. From Carol I have learned that your business is an extension of you. To grow your business, you need to grow yourself. It never ends and you will find yourself on a path of discovery and development that will continue to evolve and grow with the right nurturing. She has an amazing wisdom that is truly rare to find.

Liz is a ball of energy. She is the CEO and Founder of Single-Sourcing Solutions. Honestly it can be hard to keep up with her. It is amazing how she knows so many people and she has an incredible ability to bring people together. I have learned a lot from her and I am sure I will continue to learn new things from her. The lessons that stand out the most are the importance of being a knowledge expert at what you do and having the passion and drive to persist through adversity. She is far more fearless than I think I could ever be, but I can try.

So what Presidents have influenced you in your life?