Time for some Rosie the Riveter “Can Do”

So many discussions swirling around ‘economic recovery‘…Has it started? When will it start? Will it last? Where are the jobs? It’s not just that uncertainty remains, it’s the paralysis that overtakes individuals and corporate decision-makers because they’re waiting for a definitive answer that chafes.

I say, “Who cares! Let it go and get to work.” Don’t have a job? Make one. Haven’t figured out if social networking is worth it – or how to do it? Learn.

Just spoke with a former colleague who is an amazing sales pro who built an impressive body of strategic consulting work – and then watched a stream of steady clients evaporate following budget cuts (or worse). But is she discouraged? Hell no! She activates her considerable brain power to look for a new way to use her skills and connections. And she is ACTIVELY marketing herself.

Companies large and small should have the same mindset. There is never any ‘going back’, no matter what nostalgia bug bites you. There is only going forward – and the choices you make impact where you end up. Quit waiting for ‘things to get better’. Make things better! Create something new.

Apologies if this sounds like a lecture, but I’ve never had much patience for those who sit around waiting for opportunity to strike. I don’t buy lottery tickets either. If your marketing or sales programs aren’t bringing in the dollars, it might be time to not only look at your methodology – but at the goods/services you are selling.

I know that the original iconic Rosie wasn’t born knowing how to build aircraft. But the times and circumstances forced an entire generation of women – and men – to develop new skills and put them to use. Learn, grow, evolve – or fade away.

–Donna

P.S. And for a fun/inspiring view of where one group predicted 2009 marketing trends might take us (spot on) – Leo Burnett

Photo credit: Original by Kari Popovic, marketUP web guru