Whenever I hear about someone’s work anniversary, I stare at my LinkedIn comment bubble and try to come up with something original―and it’s difficult. “Wow, that went by quickly!” Or “Really? Three years already?” It seems like it’s all been said. What could I possibly add? Even more difficult are original responses to others congratulating me on my anniversary. Exclamation point or not after the “Thanks,” or maybe an emoji? These are big decisions on social media. Instead of wasting time trying come up with something witty there, I thought I’d share a few nuggets in this space for my three-year anniversary—maybe one of these will resonate with you. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- Surrounding yourself with the right team is imperative.
- Writing is tough. Editing is even tougher—often like chewing on nails.
- Print is alive and well!
- Have something to say. In this world of soundbites, podcasts, Reels, and Instagram, it’s tough to know when to stay in your lane, or where the lane markers even are. But the credo I’ve maintained since I started has remained: don’t just talk to talk; focus on educating and furthering the industry—everything else is just noise.
- LP, AP, Risk Management, or Business Resilience . . . what will we be known as in the next ten years? What I do know for sure is that the industry is evolving at lightning speed, and we are experiencing it firsthand.
- There is a small handful of people volunteering and getting things done. Let’s call them the “Doers.” We need to mentor the next generation of Doers willing to donate their time. Whether at LPM, LPF, LPRC, NRF, RILA, or IAI… we need strong leaders who can step in and volunteer. This industry functions best as a team.
- There are some truly wonderful people in this business who support others behind the scenes. Thank you, you are a rare, wonderful breed!
- As is the case in any industry, some will delight in your failure(s). Many, many more want you to succeed.
- Let others know that you see them and you appreciate them. Life is too short not to thank people or tell them “Good job” in the moment.
- Partnerships are crucial. You may say to yourself, “Well, duh, Stefanie,” but too many people try to go it alone. Without partnerships, we will not realize our full potential.
- You can’t make everyone happy. In fact, some people refuse to be happy. Let them and their opinions go.
- The solution partners we work with truly care about this industry.
- We don’t have to be flashy to be successful. We just need to stick to our mission statement.
- Change is possible; take it slow, be patient, and persistent, and it will happen.
- Not every problem can be solved. Sometimes you just need to outlast the problem.
- As the leader of a small business, you own the screwups. That’s part of the deal—and you’ll survive.
- You can learn to do just about anything if you try and give yourself some grace.
- Read the whole email.
Of course, there are many more areas and topics that I have learned about, including a completely new career and set of skills in publishing. These are just a few things that immediately came to mind as I reflected on the last three years. If you want to hear the full story behind any of these examples, stop me at the next trade show and we can swap war stories.
I would like to thank our audience for continuing to support us, it means the world to the team when we hear that you appreciate what we’re doing. And, a big thank you to those at the magazine, LPF, and beyond who have helped guide me over the last three years as I stumbled around finding my footing.
I encourage you to reflect on your career to this point. Are you where you want to be? You’ve probably achieved more than you thought, and I guarantee you’ve learned more than you imagined as well. Please share with us on your career or feedback on LP Magazine at editor@losspreventionmedia.com or on our LinkedIn page.