I spent 20 years in corporate gigs.  While there, I built a network inside my company and the industry, but didn’t make time for other networking events.  That was a huge mistake!  When I was ready to make a job change, or ultimately start my own business, I did not have the resources and connections to make the transition smoothly.

I wish I had known then what I know now about the importance of networking at every stage of your career.  Was reminded of this fact when I read this great post from the Harvard Business Review!

In the article, the author suggests:

1) Figure out who should be in your network. It shouldn’t be just the people who eat lunch at the same time you do. Ask yourself: Who are the people who can help you? Who knows what’s going on? Who gets around roadblocks? Who are the critical links on the supply or information chain?

2) Stick your neck out. Most people will be more receptive than you think. No one turns down a call from someone who starts the conversation with “I’m new in my job and I’m trying to get to know people who….”

3) Remember that networking is not a one-way street. When you first meet people, reciprocate by sharing information you know will be useful.

Not sure how to get started?  Consider inviting Lorraine to speak at your next sales or team meeting.  Networking is easy… and it is for everyone!

Had lunch today with Doreen Long of Allegra printing.  (If you haven’t met her you should) Her firm does a great job.

We have been friends for a number of years, but somehow time gets away from us, and it has been  a year since we did more then just nod at each other across a room.

So today we had lunch and caught up.  We discovered a lot had happened in our businesses since our last conversation.

• She has expanded her facility and added a new press – I have clients who can use this service
• We have hired two new employees and added an expertise in starter websites. She has clients who can use this service.

What a wake up call this meeting was for me!  Here is someone I like, and send referrals to, and yet, because we had not chatted in awhile, both of us have missed more then a few great opportunities.

The lesson – Stay connected.  Even as you meet new people, make sure you find time to get back together with old referral sources, and keep the relationships healthy!

As I listened to the news from Wall Street this week, I was reminded of the Dot Com crash in late ‘99 early 2000. And although this most recent downturn is fueled by more than internet companies I wonder about the fate of many of these intriguing, and some not so intriguing start-ups.

In presentations over the last few months Web 2.0 Evangelist Tim O’Rielly chas begun challenging his audiences with a tough question: “Are you working on the right things?” he asks as he displays slides Facebook application SuperPoke, which invites you to, among other things, “throw sheep” at your friends or a popular iPhone app “iBeer,” which simulates chugging a pint.

The technology is capable of so much, and our best and brightest are focused on games and dreams of a quick sale. The better path? Tim O’Rielly suggests we need to dream big and look to solve big challenges with the technology.

This weeks IBJ unveils the latest focus of the Mayor’s scrutiny: The TIF’s (Tax Increment Financing Districts) These districts (many created by republican mayor Stephen Goldsmith) have received tax breaks and loans to create incentives for economic development. Ideally as these areas develop the increased tax revenue will be used to repay the loans.

Does the process work? Fall Creek, the new Airport and Harding Street clearly have seen significant improvements, enhancing the image of the overall city, and their assessed value which means more taxes paid to the city. Two other districts on the NW side of the city have not performed as well. So lets take a look at what works and what doesn’t rather then making an across the board decision that TIFs are bad.

Jennifer Wagner – one of my favorite political writers sums up the situation very well:

But when you’ve been in office for nine months with no vision and no clue, you have to look busy, and reviewing “stuff” and looking into “things” accomplishes that goal. Sadly, the Mayor’s tendency to wave his cheap plastic sword in the air and destroy the nearest forward-thinking idea is costing Indianapolis valuable time and progress as we compete with other cities for new jobs and new blood.

As a marketing professional, I know when business slows down you keep marketing so you are ready for the upswing. it should be the same for economic development! Come on Mayor Ballard, lets try investing in growth instead of cutting back.. the tax revenues will come!

Ben McConnal, wrote a great post the other day, summarizing comments by Dr. James Watson who, with Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA in 1955, eventually earning the duo the Nobel Prize.

One of the ideas which really resonated with me – to solve really important problems surround yourself with people who are smarter, more successful, and more knowledgeable.  This is tough for many small business owners.  Not that we don’t know smart people, but admitting we don’t know something is scary.  Will our customers and employees lose faith in us?

My advice, get over the belief you have to know everything.  You will never get any smater. Ask questions, lots of questions, watch others, and learn.  It is much easier to watch someone else run into a wall and learn as they pick up the pieces, then to do it yourself.

I have hoped someday we would have a woman in the white house, but not this woman, not now.  It is encouraging that other women feel this way as well.   Check out Women Against Sarah Palin to read what women all across the country have to say.

And feel free to share your thoughts!

I am too old to be a Techy! I remember black and white television and rotery telephones, floppy discs when the discs really flopped, and when Pong was considered state of the art gaming.

Given that foundation,  it’s hard to believe I have downloaded Chrome – Googles new browser, and am using it on the very first day it launched.  I am reading posts from serious techy’s like Mashable , Techzillio and Techcrunch and many more trying to figure out if this is going to work for me.

I am not quite sure when this happened, but somewhere along the way, I got caught up in the tech – surge.  It is too interesting not to play.   And although I often feel a bit out of my element, I can’t imagine missing the chance to be on the front end of this launch.

So this post is for my middle-age friends, and my younger friends, who are behaving like they are middle-age.  The world is changing at an alarming rate, technology is evolving as we speak. Get used to it.  It is evolve or die.

I dont’ care if you just installed Firefox yesterday  ( my husband actually did) you need to look at Chrome, and whatever Microsoft launches in response.  Not all upgrades are good upgrades ( Act 7.0) but you can only make an informed decisions if you try it for yourself.

Ok, so since the announcement on Friday, my daughter and I have been playing this game as casting directors for a new Hollywood movie.

The premise: Aging conservative politician, picks young unknown woman as running mate.  In true Hollywood style, he dies shortly after his term of office begins. So here is the game:

Who plays the leading role? Our top picks are :

• Julia Roberts – Because she looks like her in her younger days and might be a good fit now.
• Tina Fey – Cause she definitely looks like her now
• .

And the role of the aging politician – We picked Richard Dryfuss reprising his role from the American President.

So if we put you in the seat of the casting director… who do you pick?