A ran into a friend of mine the other day at the marvelous Greek Festival that they have every year in Memphis, and he said something that really struck me.

As we were walking towards the gates, he was pushing his new daughter Lila’s stroller and said, “you know, the whole world looks different the moment you start pushing one of these around.” I tried to put myself into Brad’s shoes as a new father, and think about how I would feel if I was pushing around a stroller with my baby in it.

I realized that I do exactly the same thing anyway, because my business is my baby. My baby is impacted by every turn I take and even the slightest nudging as I push it along the path that we’re on.

Planning for long-term growth of a business is crucial, but you have to keep an eye on the things that are right in front of you as well. I know that I tend to focus too much on what’s right in front of me, and not take the time to scan the horizon and see what else is coming. Mastering this balance is something that I hope I’m lucky enough to figure out someday.

Oh yeah, and here’s your online marketing tip: don’t spam.  There you go – you’re welcome.