A couple weeks ago I, amongst a few other executives and founders, was invited to attend a Forbes Executive Luncheon. There were a few companies representing technology services, a couple digital marketing and influencer marketing agencies, a few businesses working in real estate and even a private jet services company. Overall a great mix of industries and minds. There were a few topics put forth for the discussion. However most of the questions were targeting us as professionals in our fields rather than targeting us as professionals representing our companies. And i must admit at times it was rather challenging to separate the two concepts.
As a business owner, founder, CEO and jack of all trades i am fully emerged in my business, so much so that positioning myself as a leader and professional in the industry outside my company is not something i have given much thought. Not until the luncheon at least. Working on a personal professional brand is definitely important and should not be disregarded. I am guilty of that, giving 100% of my attention to building the brand of my business and in the process, leaving my own branding behind. So I have decided to take action in that regard. I will be writing more about technology. In the near future I will be sharing insights on choosing the best e-commerce solutions available on the market, talk about integration solutions and the client 360 options and share other useful tips and advice related to the services IT Creative Labs offers, which are: software development, digital marketing and staffing.
Another observation that I would like to share is around some of the issues businesses face. Interestingly enough, as different as our industries are, the issues we have to deal with are exactly the same. One of the major challenges discussed was around hiring the right people. Needless to say it is a very broad and multi-dimensional subject. During the limited time that was allocated for the discussion, we agreed that an overall more human approach to recruiting needs to take place. Among other recommendations that surfaced were: coming-up with creative questions to see how the candidates handle unexpected situations and making hiring as well as letting go decisions quickly. Staffing is part of the suite of services that IT Creative Labs offers, so certainly I will be sharing more insights and recommendations on the subject in a separate blog post. The post will be based on our expertise along with professional insights from some of the leaders in the industry of technology services and staffing.
In the meantime, here are a few shots from the Forbes Executive Luncheon.