Step One: Admit You Have A Problem: I'm addicted to Business & Marketing posts and articles.

Step One: Admit you have a problem.
I admit it. I am addicted to reading and understanding Business, Marketing, Branding, Human Resources, Corporate Culture, Industrial Organization, and Social Media posts, articles, and documentaries. I read articles about image, and hiring, promotion, content, and costumer service. I watch TED talks about it, joined You Inc. subscribe to Smartbrief and CB Blog, and participate in all sorts of small business, entrepreneur, and relationship building twitter chats such as #RBChat and #MomBizMondays. as well as UPS, Dell, and Visa Small Business chats.
I know what you are thinking, what is so strange about that? I am just eager to further my career and "brand" myself. I would agree had I not been and continue to be a Stay At Home Mom for more than 18 years with no plans whatsoever of returning to the work force. I have not hired, trained myself or anyone else, served, promoted or marketed myself, a product or service in years.

All that being said I feel I can add some real value in these conversations, and have real insight. I listen, observe, question, research (via all those articles, posts, infographics), all sorts of people, brands, and PR reps about how they hire, market, and train. I plant ideas and prompts into conversations to see where they can lead. I listen to friends and family who are working, watch documentaries, the news, social media, and links shared on LinkedIn. I mull over this stuff for days, link and share that which should be linked or shared. I question that which should be questioned.

I am often a sounding board for ideas, and issues my working friends and family have. I give a different perspective. I am creative both in an artsy way, and the way in which I think. Sometimes I use this knowledge I have acquired to convince a school council if you cook and bake it they (aka parents) will come, and single handedly organized a pot luck for 400 people. I told you if there was food they would come. Oops, my bad it was 2 potlucks, 2 years in a row including giant media boards (10 of them) of school activities and areas of interest ( Just Saying....). Luckily for me in the second year Jazzy6178 aka Elaine was my partner in crime. This collaboration only heightened the flow of creative ideas, making Potluck Part 2 an even bigger success, and calling for a bigger venue. This included the addition of science fair projects, music by the members of the band and guitar club, and an information scavenger hunt (answers to be found on the media boards), for prizes donated by local businesses. 

More recently I started to share and interact on social media and this blog, which as you may have guessed, has done nothing but further my addiction. I am a sharer and linker in real life, I always have been. For this reason I have often played the role of the unofficial source of information; aka the knower of things. It is a recurring theme in all parts of my life both personal and professional. So many of the lessons learned in life apply perfectly to the business world, because in the end it all comes down to people.
Step One: Admit you have a problem.

Some interesting Links:
Smart Brief - SmartBlog on Social Media 
YouInc.com Blog
Jeff Bullas,com
Collective Bias CB Blog
Ted Talks 
If you have some great blogs, websites, or links to feed my addiction please share them with me in the comments section. Thanks for visiting! 

Yep, me Cathy thinking out loud about stuff.