These are the very first words I found when opening Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. This book is filled with easy to apply principles of human relations which, from experience, will improve your communication skills, increase your ability to persuade others, give you more harmonious interactions, help you get what you want, and overall will change your life.

This applies directly to our approach with clients on improving professional and reputation success; getting more of what they want and less of what they don't want.

If you could develop symbiotic relations with key customers, would that result in 2014 being the best year of company or organizational growth since the enterprise was started? If you believe that this would likely happen, read on.

I recently read a report sponsored by Accenture, Oracle and Longitude Research. While they titled the article CFO Catalyst for Change, my interpretation aligns better with CFO Catalyst for Opportunity!

To "try" is to "make an attempt or effort" to do something, not necessarily to do it.

We often don't trust government, we often don't trust those we have business dealings with or we don't trust some who are closest to us. In your organization, when people feel betrayed because their managers don't seem to trust them what impact do you believe that has?

This is a challenge to all of you - let's be bold! Let's take some calculated risks and in the spirit of The Law of Attraction, let's act as if we have what we desire. Let's act as if we are accountable for everything we say and do, as well as for what we don't say and do.

Although not the path I saw through my tears, I have learned much these past few years. A second chance and a chance to renew, I share with you now as my gift to you this holiday season.

There are a couple of simple things that we can do to help us deal with the stress of the season. The biggest help would be to breathe.

Whatever feelings and significance the holidays inspire in you, whether on the list or off, may you use the time to hit the reset button, both personally and professionally.