Hands-on learning and networking, two of my favorite new year resolutions.
The start of a new year is always a time to consider ways to improve, which for me always starts with looking in the mirror. Not to see what I look like (we’re all getting older), but to see what kind of message my choices are sending. I was vividly reminded of this when I noticed my grandchildren poking around in my bookshelves. They were curious as to what types of books I read and hopefully they weren’t too disappointed to discover most of the titles are non-fiction, biographies or business-related topics. I took the opportunity to explain to them that it’s very important to keep learning and to keep reading–even books that aren’t assigned to you by your teachers. Above all, be curious. There are some folks out there that stop learning after they graduate from high school or college, and there are those who continue to learn everyday, no matter how successful they become. Most successful people have an insatiable curiosity, especially entrepreneurs who are always on the look out for for the next business idea, always searching to find out what your customer’s next needs are. One person who takes this to an extreme is Richard Branson, who even disdains wearing suits and ties because being in the boardroom isn’t usually where he finds his new ideas and inspiration. He believes in learning by doing and by taking risks. So as you head into the new year, take a look at what you are going to do to get out of your comfort zone this year. Maybe it will be as simple as taking a public speaking class, signing up for a webinar or finally learning how to hook up that cutter that you ordered six months ago. Whatever it may be, you can never go wrong by trying to learn one new thing each day. This is at the top of my list of resolutions, and I promise to share some of the more interesting things I learn with all of you. Kudos to all of you who got a head start on learning new things at the Advertising Specialty Institute’s (ASI) Orlando Show. They had a full day of educational seminars on Jan. 4th to kick off the show and we were honored to be there to present and teach.
The ASI Show in Orlando kicked off on Jan. 4th with a full day of educational sessions.
We are always honored to participate in hands-on learning experiences, helping more people understand the value of heat printing in the advertising specialty marketplace.
It’s always great to see how people react when they discover how easy it is to print a custom t-shirt using a heat press.
Richard Branson is a big believer in learning by doing.