I asked a few of our team members what they would splurge on today.

Martha's splurge- a vacation ending in Savannah, Georgia

“A 2 week vacation along the East Coast – New York to Savannah, Georgia, visiting museums, historical sites, etc.”  – Martha Kirkpatrick, Director, Member Services

“Haha I will try to think of something other than the iPad… although let’s be honest!” – Amanda Butterworth, Senior Director, Creative Services

“I would upgrade the rest of my flights in 2010 to First Class.  I might also buy some new Ferragamo shoes so I’m flying in style.”  – Yours truly (Alexandra)

“Prada shoes.” – Andrea Gibson, Advisor

Amanda's splurge- An Apple iPad. Photo: wired.com

On this spending day, I also started thinking about what I would really want to splurge on for Gibson Design Management or any of our other companies. 

The answer came to me fairly quickly.  Our team loves learning; it makes it a really fun environment that everyone gets so passionate about learning new things and then applying them to make our company better and to make our clients more successful.

If I had to splurge today on something on behalf of the company, I would take our whole team to more conferences.  I particularly would put SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive), any of GasPedal’s Word of Mouth Marketing Supergenius conferences, Inc Magazine’s GROWCO conference, and TWTRCON NY.

Without sounding too cheesy on a fairly cheesy holiday, education is the gift that keeps on giving.  So would it really be that big of a splurge?  (I guess if we were all to fly first class, like my splurge, it would be).

What would you splurge on for your business?

There’s no better time to catch up on some past due business reading than when you’re snowed in.  If you’re like me, you probably have several books in the rotation, plus a couple that are on your desk or nightstand that are in queue.  My most recent conquest:

Crush It: Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion (by Gary Vaynerchuk)

I recommend this book.  It’s short and conversational, much like reading a blog.  The content is a good mixture of anecdotes, detailed “how-to”s, and sage advice.  While the social media information is fairly basic, I still felt that it was a good reminder.  Most importantly, this book reinforced the importance of really doing what you love.  I feel fortunate that I do that already, and even more fortunate that now is a great time to actually make a living doing what I love.

The books currently in the rotation:

ProBlogger: Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income (by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett)

While I am only 2 chapters in to this book, I already find it to be very informative.  In fact, I stopped after two chapters so that I could start working on some of their suggested exercises.  This book definitely falls under “How-To” manual.

The Breakthrough Company: How Everyday Companies Become Extraordinary Performers (by Keith McFarland)

I was fortunate enough to hear Keith speak last year at Inc. Magazine’s GrowCo conference.  This book is Good to Great for the smaller guys.  Keith and his team took solid metrics and found a handful of businesses that have not only survived but thrived by breaking through the entrepreneurial phase into the solid, established business phase.  This aspect makes The Breakthrough Company even more fascinating to me than Good to Great as it feels closer to home.

What business book did you just finish reading and what do you have in the rotation?

Leave a comment and we’ll send you a copy of Gary’s book, Crush It!

Jack Mitchell

Jack Mitchell–listed by Inc. Magazine as one of the 26 most fascinating entrepreneurs in 2005, author of multiple books including Hug Your Customers, and former CEO of family-run clothing stores Mitchells and Richards—argues that we need to relate to our clients and to personalize EVERY encounter. While many argue that clients should be kept at an arm’s length and should be viewed as business associates solely, I disagree and subscribe to Mitchell’s way of business.

1. People do business with people they like. Be likable.
2. Clients are not transactions, they are people. Build relationships.
3. Give people great, personalized service. Your first priority should not be the products, it should be the service and the experience.

I am not a big hugger—literally. However, I do believe that the metaphorical hug is of utmost importance to running a successful business. You must also ensure that you empower your team to “hug” your clients. Hire a great team and treat them like you want them to treat your clients; your clients will feel good about doing business with you and will come back for every project. They will refer you. It seems simple but chances are your competition is not doing a good job. All the more reason to lead the bandwagon.

To see Jack Mitchell on The Today Show, take a look at this video: