I love surrounding myself with people who put forth exceptional effort to excel above the norm. When I hear how they developed the desire to become the best and what fueled that passion, their enthusiasm energizes me.

 One area of excellence I’ve always appreciated is flying. At a young age my dad instilled a love of taking to the skies. I’ve enjoyed learning about the various flying machines, learning to fly before I was old enough to get a license, and flying in an open cockpit.

When it comes to developing a following, I had an eye-opening experience this past weekend.

In a world where social media is so impactful, it made me consider how valuable real-life interactions are. Granted, I’m one of the first ones to utilize social networking for growing my business, but what if we could combine social with real life?

At the latest CD release party for Jared Campbell, I saw first-hand why it was sold out. Jared is a local artist who has worked his way into the hearts of fans that will forever be his followers.

How has he done this? By intentionally connecting with real people.

It’s a year of new possibilities. But how do we turn those possibilities into realities?

My family has been one of the greatest assets in my life. They’re my biggest cheerleaders. It’s exciting to think that in April it will be the start of my 6th year in business.

I think because my family taught me how to enjoy life, this has allowed so many possibilities to turn into realities. We look for the best, work through the rest, and in the end I know I am blessed.

One such moment of enjoying life was at The Molyneaux’s Christmas Tree Farm. Four generations of Stoddard’s enjoying the hunt for the perfect trees. Granted, not everyone was able to be there, but at least we had almost 50% representation! My nephews loved the experience of being like tough guys using the saws, and it was the perfect day to relax with family.  You can watch a video of it below.