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I know you’ve heard the buzz about Pinterest, so what is it really all about?

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where you can tell a visual story about anything you want. You’re able to organize and share things you find while perusing the web. You can also browse others’ pinboards and discover new new things and get inspired!

Here at The Byne Group we were definitely inspired! We created an account on Pinterest [pinterest.com/thebynegroup] and here we thought we’d let others discover and get to know the people that make up our “group.” We each have our own boards where we “pin” things that we’ve found inspiring or shows a little bit about ourselves.

Pinterest suggests using your boards to: Decorate Your Home, Plan A Wedding, Your Style or Save Your Recipes

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi

This year I am embracing excellence and rejecting the concept of perfection. The most interesting people I know have imperfections, and I never thought I wanted to be perfect. Now ask me if I try to be perfect anyway? Like many people there is a dichotomy between theory and practice. When I make a mistake or fail at something, I do a first rate job of berating myself (just ask my husband who’s been woken at 3 am to hear my tales of woe!).
 
That’s why I love this Vince Lombardi quote and plan to take it to heart.

What is the difference between excellence and perfection? According to Christine Casey, a leadership coach and blogger:

:: Excellence is willing to be wrong. Perfection is being right.
:: Excellence is spontaneous. Perfection is control.
:: Excellence is accepting. Perfection is judgment.
:: Excellence is flowing. Perfection is pressure.        

To sum it up, excellence is an attainable and healthy goal for each of us to pursue.

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become." –Gandhi

Okay, I get that change is good but why is it so damn hard? For me, as well as many other small business owners, I struggle with making those tough decisions. Why? Because no one likes uncertainty – When we change, we are swimming in untested waters and that can feel unnerving.

Have you ever sat in on a meeting, rehash it moments later with others who were present and discover that none of you left with the same message? I know I have. Communication is such a tricky thing. We are so busy thinking about what our response will be that we barely digest the information just shared. Listening well means letting go of what's on your mind and being present in the conversation, not an easy task for most of us.

To quote Leo Tolstoy, "All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy it its own way." To prove my point, consider some very recent ads.

First up is what I like to call “Gutless Guys and The Women Who Berate Them.” Last night while my husband and I were watching TV a commercial for AT&T came on. You know the one where a timid looking guy pops his head into what appears to be a greenhouse (hey, who doesn’t have one of those in their backyard). As his wife is watering a plant he shares that he signed the family up for some sort of unlimited texting plan. The wife then goes crazy, seething disgust for the poor guy.

Our guest blogger, John Scilipote, Founder and President, Babyface Interactive 

We all get them - constant email solicitations for SEO, (Search Engine Optimization) services. The email usually starts out with someone named Joe or Amy claiming they "came across" your website and noticed it wasn't listed on the first page of Google.

One of my all time favorite movies is “Field of Dreams,” a drama-sports-fantasy based on W.P. Kinsella's novel “Shoeless Joe."

Even if you never saw the film I bet you’ve heard the sentence Kevin Costner keeps hearing in his head, “If you build it, he will come.”

Have you ever wondered why your company's logo or branded colors look different on your office printer, computer monitor, and professionally printed materials? (They shouldn't by the way!)

 We see colors in three different ways. 1) Natural color: what you see in nature; 2) Printed colors: inks, pigments, dyes, and paint; 3) Light Spectrum: computer monitors, screens, televisions.