Yes, my posts have been sparse these last 6 months, I admit. The carousel of life threw me off, and when I tried to jump back off it threw me off again, whirling so fast it took a while to catch up and jump back on. Only, I’m not the same person I was.

Optional Growth: Last summer I decided that in order to grow, my business needed to change. I decided to narrow my “high-tech” niche to that of just business intelligence. It’s my space, it’s what I know. I’ve been a consumer of the very marketing pieces I am now creating. I decided to revise my own marketing message and website. Well, the stars aligned or the planets collided or something like that. The Universe decided I had some personal growth to do as well. After 20 years in the same house, we decided on a whim to downsize and sell. Eight days later, our house was sold and we were packing. That whole event set me back for the summer and things like this blog suffered from lack of time and attention. It was now September and I was ready to jump back on the carousel, but I guess I wasn’t done growing just yet.

Forced Growth: On a warm Sunday evening in early October, everybody was outside socializing, including the dogs. In the blink of an eye, I was changed forever when our dog Lily was hit and killed right in front of me. I was devastated and in a daze for weeks. Like a flower that has been trampled, I struggled to sprout again. I’m finally back to work and have finished the launch of my newly redesigned website.

Growth and Your Business: Growth is often optional – to a point. In business, we can sit back and continue to do the same things for a long, long time. However, even if the world sat still, our business would wither. And, with increasing external pressures from changes in technology, global marketplace, legislation, politics, and the economy, growth is really not optional.

As the end of the year draws near, it’s time to reflect. How has your business changed and grown? Are there areas you have become complacent in or have you embraced new challenges? Have you had the luxury to choose our opportunities or have they been thrust upon you?

Even the best laid plans hit roadblocks. You just have to be ready to regroup and take the detour.

Just a quick one to provide you the link to my interview with Ajay Ohri from DecisionStats. In the interview I talk about trends in the business intelligence space, how marketing for BI is evolving, and a teeny bit about corporate sustainability (one of my personal interests). Hope you get a chance to read it!

http://www.decisionstats.com/2009/09/02/interview-terri-rylander-advanced-marketing-collateral-bi/