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www.privateairny.com Private Air | Spring 2020 50 7 GROWTH STRATEGIES SURE TO SPUR FRESH SUCCESS BUSINESS By: Merilee Kern, MBA G rowth. All businesses and professionals should want it and need it. But, achieving and sustaining growth is today's uber-complex environment— whether corporate, entrepreneurial or personal career growth—takes multifaceted vision, ingenuity and agility. Indeed, a lack of growth in business speaks volumes. It says a business or individual hasn't fruitfully evolved in its own lifecycle (or career cycle), hasn't kept pace with industry trends, that increased profitability isn't being prioritized (or valued)...or all of the above. Even when all of these things are successfully realized, there's still quite a macro fight to be had as one endeavors to advance. For companies, economic indicators are a useful benchmark, which often portray how ominous or encouraging the growth opportunity landscape may be. For example, according to data from e Conference Board's Economic Forecast for the U.S. Economy, GDP data show that "...growth slowed in the final quarter of the year [2018]," and that, "during 2019, expect growth to slow further, as effects from fiscal stimulus measures wane..." Such intel can put things into perspective and prompt businesses to pivot on activities and expectations for the period. But even as businesses at large strive to thrive, so too must the individual professionals that drive them. At the end of the day, a business' success, or lack thereof, is a direct reflection of the people therein—from ownership and management to front line and support staff and everyone betwixt and between. For some insight-oriented motivation, here's a glimpse at how some business owners and professionals are growing their businesses and capitalizing on opportunities in their respective industries while promoting professional self-development. #1 – Embrace Your Uniqueness, Don't Try To Blend In Whether with respect to a company's offerings, approach or image—or to staffers, themselves—uniqueness and authenticity can be key in attracting and entrenching customers. Sure, it's easy to "play it safe" and still make a profit, but to really achieve breakthrough goals and hit seemingly impossible targets requires taking risks—true and even unconventional sincerity among them. Harvard-trained lawyer Chinwe Esimai, the first African to secure a global executive role at one of the world's largest banks, encourages individuals to embrace "shining in their own lanes," even in corporate America. By not downplaying her efforts or her Nigerian-born immigrant background and by staying true to her uniqueness, Esimai achieved extraordinary success with a banking industry leader. #2 – Increase the Value of Your Brand For companies, your brand isn't your brand until you've legally maximized all of your resources. is is according to patent lawyer JiNan Glasgow George, who underscores that, for multi-billion- dollar companies like Apple or Nike, their trademark, logo and patent is what they focus on to drive value. George, who helps small businesses understand the power behind copyrighted brands, explains that intellectual properties (IP) provide protection for other companies from "borrowing" your ideas while also solidifying the uniqueness of your brand. When it comes to one's personal brand, Karen Leland, author of "e Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build,

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