From Thanksgiving through the New Year we think a lot about company. It could be the company you have over to your house for a festive meal or the company you are at someone else’s house. And we may take inventory of the company we keep, including family, friends, and business associates.

You can’t pick your family – but you can definitely pick your friends, and often as an entrepreneur you get to pick the people with whom you want to do business. This a big plus!

During this time of year (and actually all year long), I urge you to surround yourself with people who are motivated, smart, and positive. I encourage you to stretch and interact with people who may be much smarter than you. While it can be humbling (like my first week at Vassar when I realized I was far from the smartest person in the room), it also can help you to take your game way up.

As you may know, I am the community manager for this blog. I do this in addition to running my own company because I get the chance to work with and learn from Carol, and also interact with all of our super smart guest contributors. I have met so many interesting people and have developed relationships with some of the top minds in the entrepreneur space. This has made me think bigger about who I am and what I can contribute. It makes me stretch every day to learn new things and improve my skills.

You are the company you keep.

As you are thinking about the last year and setting your goals for the next year, make a list of people whose work you admire and would like to know better. Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs who are looking to grow their businesses. Meet thought leaders and engage with their communities.

Here is a list of the thought leaders who will be contributing regularly to this blog. It might be a great place for you to start. I am so honored to work with:

Thank you for reading this blog and for being part of Carol’s community. I wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Happy Holidays!

Catherine