Shameless Self-Promotion
What I'm Reading
The new Stephanie Bond book - which I believe is coming out next month with Avon (good stuff)
Take Out the Trash by Dixie Cash (real name? I think not)
Lehigh Valley Style Magazine (I'm pitching them a client, and am getting myself familiar)


I set up shop at the Lehigh Valley Connections trade show yesterday - To be perfectly honest, I hadn't heard too much about it before hand, so I was worried no one would show up. There were a nice group of people - and I spent a few hours talking and shmoozing and meeting new people. I actually had a great time!

I made a few appointments for next week and have a nice list of follow up work that I have to do. It was actually a lot of fun - and I'd love to be able to concentrate on that sort of thing - you know, hire some really great PR people to create a self-sufficient team and then be able to go out and network, get more business, work on proposals and brainstorm...

Anyway, there are a lot of great businesses in the Lehigh Valley - I'm looking forward to utilizing some of the locals. I'm a big believer in working with the small businesses in my area - I guess, being a small business in my area, if I have to purchase goods or services it makes sense to use people like myself. You know? The unfortunate thing is that they are usually a bit more expensive than their national, larger corporate counterparts. Hard to compete.

So, what did I do today? I talked to a few people about sponsoring the Swain School auction this upcoming spring - Did I mention that I'm chairing the Dinner & Auction this year? I am. If you'd like to be a sponsor or advertise in this year's catalogue --- shoot me an email. It's going to be a great year, we're looking to raise about $150,000 to finish paying for the elevator to make the entire school handicap accessible to students and disabled visitors. Not to mention that part of that money goes to the scholarship fund to allow students who would otherwise be unable to afford the tuition - to come to Swain. It's a great school. I like it a lot and love talking it up - so soliciting companies and the media on their behalf is easy.

I think that's why I'll never get to be a very big agency. I would rather choose to stay small and work with companies that I like, that I can be eager and passionate about ... and the world is just not full of such companies. Then again, I'm sure it is easy to get passionate about three meals a day and a roof over your head, so if push came to shove, I'm sure that I'd take a client on that if I had the resources, wouldn't otherwise. Thank goodness I'm not at that point right now. I hope I never am. I want to make enough money for my family to be comfortable. To help send my kids to college (although, I expect them to save their own money for the same purpose), and to retire at a descent age if I choose to. The rest? I don't need a second and third house (no matter what my lawyer suggests... he's a hoot) - but, I'd like to higher other people. I like the idea of spreading the wealth.

Then again, perhaps I'm just naive. I don't know. We'll see, I guess.

Where was I going with all of this? The trade show! Yes, so, it was great. I had a chance to meet a lot of great people. Make new contacts. Talk, chat, pass around my newly designed business cards (thank you Tony!!!).

I'm going to run - I still have some work I'd like to do before packing it all in for the night.
:) Next time I write, I'll tell you about the lease negotiations that I'm going to go through this week - and the three pages of notes my lawyer (Buddy) gave me on the two page lease (practically). Fun stuff. I also have a meeting with my insurance agent and my accountant next week. I am CHOCK full of professional service providers this week. :) Oh, where does the cash go?