Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!

As we continue this long winding road into 2009, our best advice to you is: Don't loosen that seat belt just yet! In fact, you may want to add a helmet with that belt.

To prepare for the bumpy ride ahead, ask yourself, "What am I doing, and what can I continue to do, to raise the bar of preparedness during these times?"

If you have not done so already, we REALLY encourage you look at the framework we provided in October, November and December for "Managing Your Personal Brand." Selecting a theme for 2009, choosing two to three specific and measurable goals, and creating action plans for attainment are just a few things you can do to lay the new foundation for this year to come.

We encourage you to view this economic downturn as an opportunity--yes we said opportunity--to REINVENT, RECREATE and REIGNITE your business and personal brand. (See our Power Circles introduction below.) Business as usual will no longer produce the same results. But adversity also breeds great opportunity. Look to make innovative shifts in your business model and in your personal brand. Seek to develop new products and services that help consumers during the current economic climate.

If your own direction has been altered due to a layoff or slowdown, this is a critical time to decide what move to make next with your personal brand. What do you want the legacy of your next personal brand move to be? Rather than just looking for a job, where is your career heading? What are you really passionate about and how can you channel this passion to make a difference? So, get ready, over-prepare, and remove people, places and things that are not a match to take your personal brand to the next level.

On the other end, large layoffs have created a "knowledge loss" (particularly in corporate management), and this is compelling companies to use more consulting support and outside-the-box thinking to accomplish strategic changes. In addition, because the downturn is affecting 2009 revenue forecasts, you will need help developing and implementing innovative growth strategies to overcome these revenue shortfalls.

In short, 2009 will be a year of BIG decisions! Whether you are leading a business or taking your personal brand in a new direction, you must be prepared to make some hard and smart choices.

Best regards,

Jeff Gundersen, CEO jgundersen@executiveconnects.com
Executive Connections, LLC
Executive Search, Executive Coaching & Consulting for Top-Level Executives
Direct: 941-323-8300 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              941-323-8300      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
http://www.executiveconnects.com

Announcing: Executive Connections "Power Circles"
Connecting Powerful People to Powerful Connections for Powerful Personal Branding

We all need to be thinking creatively, and at EC we are doing just that with the creation of Power Circles.

Who are the people you trust, particularly given the recent fraud and deceit we've all witnessed? Who can you count on?

Who do you want to work with within your next business venture, and what's most important in terms of shared vision and values? Likewise, who are the people you want to eliminate from your life or business because they are holding you back, not creating value or are not a match for your personal brand?

With so much negativity all around, it is imperative to focus on, and make room for, the positive and to gain support and forward motion in order to achieve your goals for 2009. What support structures do you need to put in place to make the necessary changes happen? And what are the changes you need to make NOW?

Let's Start with People
Who are the people you can rely on to help you make breakthrough personal and business changes in the current economy? Who are your role models, your mentors? Who has inspired you and supported you to get to the next level? Who is in your support network? Who are your raving fans?

We believe that now more than ever is the time to turn to people who can help, a time for hiring an executive coach (if you do not already have one), for building or expanding a personal advisory board and for identifying your "Power 100" (your 100 most powerful and influential personal and business connections). Creating a circle of powerful influencers -- people who are committed to your success, who will provide you strategic counsel and introductions to others who can help you achieve your goals--is what we think would be helpful in times like these.

As executive coaches, we at EC talk daily with many senior executives facing the challenges outlined above, both executives running businesses as well as executives in transition due to the economic downturn. In addition to our one-on-one coaching counsel, we connect our clients to other senior executives who can assist them in various ways, including identifying new business opportunities, finding strategic alliance partners, providing project management or short-term consulting, obtaining financing and other strategic business needs.

We make many powerful connections every day for our clients.

As such, a number of our clients have encouraged us to expand our services in the area of "making connections" to assist more senior executives during these challenging times.

Power Circles Overview: Here's What We Are Thinking
Accordingly, we are announcing a pilot program for a new and innovative EC service we are calling "Power Circles." Over the next few weeks, EC will create several "Power Circles" by choosing and matching up senior executives (six to eight executives per circle). We will facilitate these circles by providing executive coaching, consulting/advising and support, on both a group and one-on-one basis.

Think of this as "LinkedIn...but at a higher level."

Each executive who is chosen to participate in one of these confidential Circles will agree to share with the other six to seven members of their Circle the following:

• Top three personal and business goals in 2009
• Strategic counsel and advice
• Personal connections and introductions

Each Circle member who is chosen will also have the opportunity to request and receive similar support from other members of the EC "Power Circles" on his or her three goals.

EC will choose and match the participants, oversee formation and create the guidelines of the "Circles." We will facilitate the six-month group program on defining and achieving 2009 personal brand and business goals. The program will include one group conference call each month and one (1) individual coaching session each month for each participant. This hybrid program will enable each participant to receive a blended solution, offering the best aspects of both group and individual executive coaching at a reduced cost.

We encourage each of our readers interested in joining a "Power Circles" to connect with us to find out more about this exciting program and apply.

This new "Power Circles" six-month program is being offered at a special pilot promotional rate of $500 per month per participant.

Bottom Line: Take bold action to expand your connections in ways that will open doors to new opportunities to move your personal brand and business forward, and make things happen in 2009 and beyond! Connect with Jeff at jgundersen@executiveconnects.com to take that next step.

We are eager to launch our new Executive Connections website next month! Our redesigned and reengineered website will provide significantly more value and ease to you, our friends and clients. Stay tuned! We’ll send a note to announce it, as soon as it is up.

The EC Talent Alert! service offers our select executive coaching clients in career transition the vast resources of the Executive Connections team to explore a range of new opportunities.

Every year, the Talent Alert Division of Executive Connections LLC selects and coaches--pro-bono--one or two "Rising Young Stars" and then presents them to you, our connections, for your consideration--at no cost to you!

These are talented, motivated, entry-level future leaders you will be eager to consider. Working with them is part of our ongoing commitment to coaching individuals who will make a difference and to providing you with the opportunity to have these young leaders "pre-screened and buffed."

Today, we are pleased to introduce you to Caitrin Fee, one of this year's "Rising Young Stars."

Caitrin is seeking a full-time creative position where her fine art, entreprenurial and leadership skills will be fully maximized. We are confident Caitrin will make a strong, positive contribution to your organization, should you choose to employ her.

To learn more about Caitrin, click here.

February 6, 2009
SDSU Writers' Conference 2009
Sharpen your pencils, grab your manuscripts, and head to the SDSU Writers' Conference!

February 23, 2009
DMA Leaders' Forum 2009
A Leadership Paradigm for Unprecedented Times

March 15, 2009
SourceMedia’s 14th Annual Best Practices in Retail Financial Services
Gear Up for the Opportunities Ahead