Connecting and Thriving in 2021

By Patty Ross, Owner of Golden State Marketing

This past year of 2020 has been a challenging one in so many ways, but it also has been an inspirational year for me. The pandemic has hit us all hard, but I have seen the resiliency of business owners I have taught and networked with throughout this year.

I was so impressed the way that some businesses — which couldn't operate in their usual way in this new environment — pivoted and reimagined themselves as something totally new … perhaps even better! It made a lot of us reevaluate our way of working, playing, and planning. I was able to move back to my hometown of Los Angeles and become chapter president of NAWBO LA this year. Coming full circle to where I grew up after 26 years away … coming home with fresh eyes, ready to forge new relationships, personally and professionally.

Cookie Selling Groomed Me

As chapter president of NAWBO LA, I am getting our members excited about all the new possibilities ahead of us in the coming year. They are all so ready to learn, grow, and connect. I am surrounded by amazing women who work hard, play hard, and love even more fiercely. Perhaps my days as a Girl Scout, persistently selling cookies door-to-door (that was how we did it back in my youth), groomed me for where I am today.

I taught my young niece some marketing skills when she called me to try and sell me cookies one year. She asked me, "Aunt Patty, would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?" I told her to ask in a different way: "How many boxes of cookies would you like to buy?" The next year, she called me and asked, "Aunt Patty, how many boxes of cookies would you like to buy?" Success! This year, she just became one of the first female Eagle Scouts in the country. She inspires me to break down barriers and forge new paths.

And now 2021 will have so many new possibilities. I look forward to working with young entrepreneurs in high school and college as we bring the NAWBO NextGen program to Los Angeles, to young ladies, like my niece, who are forging new paths. I am also looking forward to working with all of our members of NAWBO LA, as well as with business owners who attend my marketing workshops to continue to connect, inspire, and thrive in 2021!

Patty Ross, owner of Golden State Marketing, helps business owners grow with strategic, consistent, focused marketing efforts, which allows them time to focus on the big picture without worrying about sales!

This post is part of a month-long January CircleAround series in which we asked writers to explore the topic "What Comes Next?" Now that we’ve (thankfully) turned the corner on 2020, what can we expect from 2021? Business-wise and family-wise, mentally and spiritually. To see all the posts in the series, visit here. And if you'd like to contribute to the series, send us your thoughts to [email protected] or post on our "2021 Vibes Wall."