The Year of Making Things Happen

Wow, 2013 sure flew by and it’s been quite a ride. Starting a new business, or restarting it in our case, can be daunting so I just like to thank my family, friends, clients and colleagues for their support. Because of you, ImpressionsDP is off to a strong start and we look forward to great things in the New Year.

Restarting the business was a good opportunity for reflection since much has changed over the past decade. When we founded i3 Marketing in 2002, digital marketing was in its infancy and the major social media networks (Facebook, Twitter) didn’t exist yet. Since that time, marketing has been turned upside down; new channels and tools came online, older ones evolved and the pace of change continues to accelerate.

How do you structure a business that will help clients effectively navigate today’s environment? Rebooting gave us some time to think about that.

“An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it”.
– Bill Bernbach

While marketing tactics have changed, one constant that remains is the need for results. Marketers are great at planning but they often need help executing those ideas effectively. In other words, their plans must be turned into actions that deliver on the desired goal. That’s why we’ve chosen to refocus on providing tactical marketing services, or helping clients turn their ideas into the “magic” that delivers across digital and print media.

But this article isn’t a sales pitch and the lesson learned here is not just about marketing. Periodic reflection is a valuable exercise that applies equally to life and business.

We often have personal and professional goals that will take significant time and effort to achieve. Five years ago, I decided to get an MBA and spent the next three years pursuing it before graduating in December 2011. It was a long stretch but the toughest part of that journey was getting started. After that, while the program was still difficult, once I changed the inertia the rest of the time flowed (remember, a body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force).

The dawning of a New Year is a great time to reflect on our individual goals, what we’ve achieved and what’s left to do. Do you want to build a business, learn another language, parasail in the Caribbean, earn a new degree or get a pilot’s license? Whatever it may be, have you started it yet? If not, why not?

Most worthwhile pursuits take time and effort to achieve so forget about immediate gratification. Anything we can get with little effort is usually of no lasting value. Find something that gets you fired up, map out a plan and get to it!

“Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare”.
– Japanese Proverb

Let’s make 2014 the year of making things happen!

And whatever your pursuit, best wishes for happiness and success in the New Year.