Babies amaze me! They're so pure, raw and open.  This is David Austin Bailey, 1st born child of my friends Stuart and Janeth.  He's less than a week old here. One of the things that inspires me about babies is the full range of possibilities that are open to them.  Few decisions have been made for them at this stage and options for a life well lived are bountiful.

Hopes and dreams are alive and abundant for the lives of newborns.

In a similar vein, a couple of nights ago I was enjoying a 'swim' in the pool.  (It's been to hot to even get in the pool during the day.)  As I glanced toward the north, I caught a glimpse of a bright green (emerald?) falling star.  Apparently, there are some composites of meteorites that have them 'finish' with a bright green tail. I'd never seen that before.  It was breath-taking!

I made a wish...and now it's your turn.

No matter how hard or hopeless it might feel, and even though you're not this young, it's not too late for you. 

What dreams do you have that need reawakening?   In this week's article, I offer tips on how to rekindle or create new dreams even in this economic downturn to position your firm to capitalize on the rebound.

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I Want More Clients, Biz Connect, Thursday, August 27.  Email for more information. 

I Want More Clients, Empowered Women of Wealth, Friday, August 28. E-mail Michelle for more information.

When 'Off with their Heads!' Won't Work, Society of Human Resource Management, Utah Crossroads Annual Conference, Wednesday, September 16. Visit SHRM Utah for more info.

I Want More Clients, Get Clients Now!, Power Women's Conference Luncheon Series, Thursday, September 24. Register here.

Get More Clients: Make More Money, Mortgage Girlfriends Mastermind Retreat, Friday September 25. Register here

I heard recently that one of the keys to surviving a downturn in the economy is to focus on the "next best thing". You may be experiencing a slow down in your sales efforts and, consequently, your service delivery, so take advantage of the break from the mania of the past.

How do you know what that next hot thing will be? 

1. You do research. 

Read industry magazines. Surf the internet.  Create 'Google alerts for topics you're interested in and you'll be notified any time an article appears on the internet about that topic.  Attend conferences, interview thought leaders. Follow them on Twitter. Scan the horizon for themes.  Study trends.  Then use your imagination.

2.  Train your staff

Once you've filtered through the noise and have focused on some up-and-coming ideas, train your staff on them.  (See last week's article on Maximizing Training's ROI.)  The more your employees know about the next best thing and the more you encourage innovation, the more likely you are to be able to take advantage of the rising tide by tailoring your existing products and services to meet the new opportunities being created.  You might even be able to create new products and services in the emerging field.

3.  Refine your sales & marketing efforts

I'm sure you've heard the expression, 'The early bird catches the worm'.  Use your insight into the new trends to re-brand and re-position your company in the industry.  Tailor your messages, update your language to demonstrate that you and your company are learning and moving forward.  Position yourself as living on the cutting-edge.  Your prospects and clients will notice and want to learn more from you.

What ever you do, don't waste this opportunity.  Study, learn, create and implement.  Those are the keys to rising above the circumstances; creating and living your dreams.

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