It is an appropriate time to reflect on the massive contribution of service men and women of  all  ages, who have fought to protect their country and  demonstrated courage, resilience and  determination in numerous wars  protecting  Australia and supporting  our allies. Their bravery, commitment and sacrifices can never be underestimated or forgotten.

Like many families, stories have been passed down from generation to generation about family members who enlisted and joined Australian forces across the world in various wars in history.

The year is well and truly moving along. In the blinkof an eye we move from December to February!   Over the holidays, I had many discussions with my husband and YTM Business Mentor, Leigh Powell on what YTM had achieved in 2017 and the direction we would take in  2018.  All businesses need to review their strategies and the start of the year is a great time. Infact we have a "Goal Setting and Accountability" Workshop scheduled for the 13th February , if you need some guidence. 

David has been running his  business for over four years now.  He left corporate world when he had the chance of  a redundancy package and  grabbed it with open arms, deciding  that working for himself was a much better option.  

It has been quote a journey! The first year David was very busy.  He had plenty to  learn as he set up his home office and was responsible for every day to day administrative task.

Dr. Jason Fox, spoke about how we  often suffer from default thinking or  auto pilot. He suggested we make a new goal of  challenging  the things we do automatically and the approaches that we use without thought.

It made me think more about innovation, which is  a hot topic these days.  We talk about businesses needing  to continually change,  to improve and look for a new ways.  Products and services quickly become stale or redundant as new and better ways of “doing” are created. 

You know when you have an idea and its been in your head for sometime and finally you act on it!  Well, that is what happened for me.  With four events in theSmall Business Festival on the horizon, I knew I could develop a working tool to  help business owners  focus on using their precious networking time wisely.

My first full time job in the travel industry was the result of connections in my  mothers network.  It is a known fact that over 85% of jobs result from networking.  I met my husband, Leigh,  through a work colleague during that period, although perhaps we were always destined to meet, as I had booked his parents world trip before I even met him! 

Innovation is becoming a much talked about concept and requires businesses to continually change, improve and take  a new approach.  Quickly products and services are becoming  stale or redundant as   new and better ways of “doing” are created. 

When we cut through all the noise and deliver our communication the way the client/colleague likes, understands and knows we have a greater chance to build lasting business relationships.  Understanding the 4 different styles and how to use them assists in greater understanding for all parties. 

Did you know Melbourne turned 181 years old last year ?  What an achievement! Last  November, YTM Networking with a Twist turned three.  Both YTM and Melbourne are built on conversations that create profitable relationships and achieve outcomes.

Now into  our fourth year of  running events  in Brighton and various locations throughout Melbourne, I have witnessed how learning brings people together to network and benefit from the experience of others.