Tis the season!

Well, the holidays are upon us. Is it me or does it feel like time starts to move at warp speed during this time of year? Holiday parties, family gatherings and travel keep us darting from place to place, barely able to catch a breath. Before you know it, we’ll be shouting, “Happy New Year!”

As I take a moment to reflect on this past year, I can’t help but count my blessings. Like so many, I look at this as a time to take inventory in our lives. I think of those I love, those I admire and those who aren’t as fortunate.

I love to give. I especially love to shower my loved ones with exciting gifts to open on Christmas day. When you think about it, knowing you are loved and cared about feels great, and what better way to say, “I love you” than to receive a surprise box in the mail or a handwritten note of gratitude? Nothing brings a bigger smile. Don’t you agree? Even the smallest token of appreciation goes a really long way.

Imagine this scenario. Perhaps, then you might be able to understand my point better. Suppose you work at a multinational firm far away from your hometown and it is almost the holiday season. It is true that you might feel homesick at that time of the year when lights shine brightly outside every store. However, one fine morning when you reach your office, you find a box waiting for you on the table. You open it and find a screen-printed T-shirt (which corporate firms can order from firms like Coreflex by looking for keywords similar to screen printing melbourne on the Internet). You ask around what this is about and to your amusement find that everybody got holiday gifts. Now just imagine the happiness that you and people like you in your office (who were earlier feeling homesick) would experience. Won’t this small gesture of care and affection make anybody go “awww”?

Alright, if you still have not understood my point, here’s what I mean.

There’s great power in small acts of kindness. You don’t have to lavish an expensive gift on someone to show you are full of gratitude this season. There are lots of way to give. You can give of your time, your knowledge and even your connections.

I heard an amazing story the other day about a random meeting in an airport between Mike Rowe, the host of Dirty Jobs and his own podcast, and a business owner from the Midwest. The businessman was wearing a shirt with the name of his company on it. When Mike asked him to explain the shirt, he said he owned a painting company with 80 employees and had more work than he could handle. He told Mike that he could hire at least 25 people right there and then to give them jobs, but he couldn’t find anyone who wanted to work. The two men continued to talk about the opportunity, how much the starting pay is, benefits, and the job description. The business owner explained he starts all employees at $22 an hour with the potential for a raise to $32 an hour within months based on performance. He could also pay for all benefits, including health insurance and life insurance cover (for instance, similar to Curo trauma insurance) through a reputed company. Mike paused, and then said, “How about I post your picture on my social media about this opportunity and see if we can’t fill those positions. I’ve got 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Let’s spread the word.”

And so, he did.

A small gesture, with a big impact. Bravo to you Mike Rowe!

Giving is putting others needs ahead of your own. It’s about lending a helping hand to those who need it. It’s thinking outside the box-literally. What would you give to someone if you couldn’t order it from Amazon, Bergdorf’s, or Goldbelly? In what way could you give back, without writing a check? Look, giving to charity is fantastic and needed. I am not saying to forego that kind of giving. But I am asking you to consider additional ways you might be able to add great value to the world through your actions and not just your wallet. When somebody needs your help, be there for them as best you can. This need not always be in monetary terms. For example, if you know how to set up seller account on amazon, and a friend of yours is looking to start a business on Amazon, you could be the first person to help them. In the same way, someone suffering from mental health problems might benefit from some motivational words and support from you rather than a monetary gift.

As for me?

I plan to mentor as many people as I can in 2022. It’s become a mission for me to give back, especially to entrepreneurial women.

When I mentor others, my bucket gets filled. I love watching talented people grow. One of my favorite lessons in business has been the idea that when you grow your people, your business will grow and so will your clientele. The first step you might need to take for your business is the appropriate marketing tactics that would ensure that your business’ growth graph is always on the upward tick. Howsoever good a company’s product may be, they can only reach the targeted audience with the right marketing strategy (with a tad help from agencies like Digital Marketing Service Pro) in place.
But why does this have to be exclusive to business? It doesn’t.

And so, this holiday season, I hope you will find interesting ways to help others. I’d love to know how you plan to do that. Share your answers with me below.

Happy Holidays!

XO

-Dottie