 Dear Ruksana, Congratulations for receiving an Honorable Mention in the 29th Annual North American Travel Journalists Association Awards Competition.
Imagine my surprise when I saw that in the mail this morning! It's always a bit of a personal and professional celebration when the work you do for a living is recognized.
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 Image: Unsplash Given the uncertainty businesses face in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, company leaders are looking at every phase of their operation to determine ways they can improve. Company culture is one area commanding attention. As the virus caused business limitations and forced many companies to go fully remote in 2020, workplace culture was challenged in new ways. This was a reminder to company leaders to make this a priority, forcing them to find ways to strengthen it in the new year, says Mark McClain, CEO and co-founder of SailPoint and the ForbesBooks author of Joy and Success at Work: Building Organizations that Don’t Suck (the Life Out of People).
 Image: Unsplash Marketing is a lot like love. They both come from creating a positive emotional connection with a person (or brand) through a series of positive interactions or transactions that build affinity and become habitual, and hopefully loyal, over time. So why is it so hard to get it right? And how do we get to the point where we are delighted with our purchases and spent twice as much as we expected? And, in the process, perhaps even told a few of our best friends what we bought and encouraged them to buy too? Here are five product promotion methods that are sure to be helpful…
 Image: Unsplash Maybe you weren’t an entrepreneurial wunderkind, one of those young prodigies who could launch a multi-million-dollar enterprise in between final exams.
Instead, you dedicated yourself to working for someone else, moving up in the organization as you honed leadership skills and business acumen. That more methodical approach may be about to pay off if you have reached the midpoint of your career and, finally, feel ready to start your own business, says Stephen E. Gerard (www.stephenegerard.com), an entrepreneur and the Forbes Books author of Stuck in the Middle Seat: The Five Phases to Becoming a Midcareer Entrepreneur.  Image: Unsplash The digital transformation of our world is roaring full steam ahead. Are you on the train? While disruptor companies are born ready to serve the needs of today’s digital customer, “legacy” organizations find reinventing their brand experience is a long, arduous journey. It can take years. But don’t despair: Howard Tiersky, author of the new Wall Street Journal bestseller Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance, says there are some small changes you can make right now that may not outright delight your customer…but will at least minimize their aggravation. Some problems are tough to fix, but some aren’t. So, start with those.
 Image: Unsplash 2020 may have taught us a thing or two about best laid plans… But this year, we're setting resolutions that are invaluable for your marketing strategy and, better yet, easy to keep!
Set Your Intentions Before you start, take some time to think. This is the essential first step. Consider your brand's mission, purpose and whom you serve. Set a clear definition for each of these and use this as a basis for your strategy. Your future business self will thank you.  Win or Learn: The Naked Truth about Turning Every Rejection Into Your Ultimate Success by Harlan CohenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a quick read and a great one to get the year started on with a positive outlook. Some of my favorite pages are where the author addresses giving yourself permission to create, change or experience meaning in life, the fact that change is uncomfortable, and of course, the universal rejection truth, which, the earlier we can all wrap our minds around, will serve us well. Most importantly, asking for help isn't a sign of weakness but one of strength. Five concise chapters to take you through the process and some questions and exercises at the end of which - recommend the exercises and the book. I believe the author mostly writes with the student population/college crowd in mind but this one's great for an older audience just as well. View all my reviews  Image: Unsplash In January, we typically look back over the previous 12 months and contemplate what we intend to do differently in the upcoming year. (Curiously, these resolutions are often the same ones we made and abandoned the year before!). With 2020 behind us—and none too soon, you’ll probably agree—Steve Cook hopes you’ll take a different approach this year. Rather than adding to your already jam-packed to-do list, look for what you’ve been doing that isn’t serving you well. Then quit doing it.
 Attended an event in January hosted somewhere in downtown Los Angeles, promoting the Tokyo Olympics that was still in the works at the time. (Images:Ruksana Hussain) My annual reviews are personal, but I do take stock of where I am in all aspects and where I want to be, recognizing the journey this has been and planning steps to take it to the next level. It took me a few years into adulthood to understand that this process, the expectations and the outcomes, as well as the sentiments attached to it all are going to be different for everyone, and even for me at different stages in my life. The past year sure put everyone through the wringer, and I was no different. Overall I think I fared quite well, without any major threats to professional or personal wellness, and plenty to do on both fronts to keep me occupied. My prime concern was not being close to my family in India through it all and worrying how I'd get there should anyone fall ill so I am glad they've been in good health through the whole year. Here are my observations and takeaways...
 (Images:Ruksana Hussain) I've always enjoyed reading and was a voracious reader all through my teen and young adult life but somewhere along the way, work-life balance took a beating and reading just ended up being something I only did for work as I worked with words all the times. After typing away all day writing stories, editing text or interacting with the written word in some way, reading at the end of the day simply didn't;t seem like an option anymore. I tried shifting that to the morning and keeping aside an hour a day for some reading for pleasure but that ould quickly be taken over by the day's new or other updated. This year I've made a conscious decision to read more. I enjoyed it and have missed it so I've chosen to do something I used to love and hope it will give me the same joy it used to.
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