Happy New Year!

It seems like every year I've been in this business, I've always been optimistic about the new year.  For the last several years, it has been mostly cautious optimism, but for 2012 it is confident optimism.

For the new year I have teamed up with my friend Beth Safran - fellow sales rep and owner of What's in Store in Philadelphia - to enhance my existing line package.  Thanks to her, my portfolio has more variety than in previous years so that I have even more options to offer customers looking for fresh product, good value - and profits!

Also for 2012, I am armed with a new, more reliable laptop computer and a new, more sophisticated phone with better coverage and email access.  So this is what the 21st century feels like!

With these upgrades, I pledge to be more accessible.  Don't be surprised if you email me at odd hours and actually hear back from me right away.  In fact, feel free to text me if that works better for you.  If you call and get no answer, I'm either working with a customer in person or driving and cannot safely answer - but I will get back to you as soon as I can and always by the end of the business day.

Instead of resolutions, I like to start each new year with a motto that inspires me to improve myself and guides my decisions both personally and professionally.

My 2011 motto was "Travel Lighter" and in the course of the year I had to have my appendix removed - which was not at all what I had in mind when I decided on that motto.  It reminds me of one of my favorite sayings: "Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it."

It also makes me hesitant to adopt a new motto for 2012.  However, I purged a lot of superfluous physical and non-physical baggage last year, so I did live up to it.

I've decided to "Fortify the Foundation" in 2012.  Everyone - retailer and wholesaler alike - who has weathered the last 3-4 years of economic uncertainty has taken enough sustained hits that even the strongest foundation can be compromised.  (Sears, anyone?)

There was a period last year when my mojo deserted me, and I gave serious consideration to "traveling lighter" by finding a new career.  Eventually, my mojo returned from vacation and reminded me that this is indeed my career and is worth building.  So it only makes sense to take a foundation (whose strength has surprised me, frankly) and make it stronger. 

So in renewing my commitment to my business, I say to my customers and the vendors I represent: I am also partnering with you to help fortify your foundations, too.  Because we will never know what challenges are in store, let's brace for them so we can face them head-on and not have to run for cover.  Then we will both still be standing at the end of 2012.

Let's make 2012 one to celebrate!