Merilee Kern, MBA is an internationally regarded brand strategist and founder, executive editor and producer of “The Luxe List,” as well as host of both the “Savvy Living” lifestyle and travel and “Savvy Ventures” business TV shows. Connect with her at TheLuxeList.com, SavvyLiving.tv, at LuxeListReports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and on LinkedIn at MerileeKern.

Growth. All businesses and professionals should desire it and most certainly need it. But achieving and sustaining growth in today’s uber-complex environment —whether corporate, entrepreneurial or personal career growth — takes multifaceted vision, ingenuity and agility. Indeed, a lack of growth in business speaks volumes. It says a business or individual hasn’t fruitfully evolved in its own lifecycle (or career cycle), hasn’t kept pace with industry trends, that increased profitability isn’t being prioritized (or valued) … or all of the above. Even when all of these things are successfully realized, there’s still quite a macro fight to be had as one endeavors to advance.

For meeting planner companies, economic indicators are a useful benchmark which often portray how ominous or encouraging the growth opportunity landscape may be. The meeting and events industry’s growth can be influenced by a variety of fiscal markers that reflect the overall health of the economy and the willingness of businesses and individuals to invest in events. Of course, a growing economy often leads to increased business activity, which can result in more corporate events, conferences and trade shows. Higher GDP usually translates into greater disposable income for both businesses and individuals, which can be spent on events. Data related to travel and tourism — such as higher hotel occupancy rates, increased air travel and rising tourist numbers — can also directly benefit the meetings industry by driving demand for event venues and services.

Business and consumer confidence indices are also useful metrics to reflect business leaders’ sentiment about the economic outlook. When businesses are confident in the economy, they are more likely to invest in events to showcase products, conduct training and network. Similarly, consumer confidence indicates people’s optimism about their financial future. High confidence can lead to increased spending on leisure activities, including attending events and conferences.

Lower unemployment rates can also be helpful, as they reveal the state of job stability and disposable income, which can positively impact event attendance, as people have more resources for travel and participation. Other helpful economic indicators for meeting planners can include retail sales, stock market performance, international trade and exports and interest rates. Monitoring such economic indicators can provide insight into the overall economic environment and the potential growth prospects for the meeting industry. Positive trends in these indicators often correlate with increased demand for events and meetings, while negative trends might require more strategic planning to navigate potential challenges. Such intel can put things into perspective and prompt businesses to pivot on activities and expectations for the period. But even as meeting planner businesses strive to thrive, so too must the individual professionals that drive them. At the end of the day, a business’ success, or lack thereof, is a direct reflection of the people therein — from ownership and management to frontline and support staff and everyone betwixt and between.

For some insight-oriented motivation, here’s a glimpse at how some event business owners and meeting industry professionals are growing their businesses and capitalizing on opportunities while promoting professional self-development.

#1 – Embrace Your Uniqueness, Don’t Try to Blend In

Whether with respect to a company’s offerings, approach or image — or to staffers themselves — uniqueness and authenticity can be key in attracting and entrenching customers. Sure, it’s easy to “play it safe” and still turn a profit, but to fully achieve breakthrough goals and hit seemingly impossible targets requires risks — true, and even unconventional, sincerity among them. Harvard-trained lawyer Chinwe Esimai — the first African to secure a global executive role at one of the world’s largest banks — encourages individuals to embrace “shining in their own lanes,” even in corporate America. By not downplaying her efforts or her Nigerian-born immigrant background and by staying true to her uniqueness, Esimai achieved extraordinary success with a banking industry leader.

#2 – Increase the Value of Your Brand

For companies, your brand isn’t your brand until you’ve legally maximized all of your resources. This is according to patent lawyer JiNan Glasgow George, who underscores that, for multibillion-dollar companies like Apple or Nike, their trademark, logo and patent are what they focus on to drive value. George, who helps small businesses understand the power behind copyrighted brands, explains that intellectual properties (IP) provide protection against other companies “borrowing” your ideas and also solidify the uniqueness of your brand.

When it comes to one’s personal trademark, Karen Leland, author of “The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build, and Accelerate Your Brand,” suggests developing your brand by design, not default. “Know precisely where you are so you can discern where you need to go,” she says. “Every business person, from secretary to CEO, needs to start by assessing the personal brand they currently have and be truthful about the degree to which it exists by design — or default. Then they need to take stock of the impact that current brand is having. Is your brand producing the reputation you desire? What is it about what you do, or how you do it, that makes you unique, distinct and special? What sets you apart? Positioning yourself by specifically articulating how your brand speaks to the needs of your audience, coupled with the unique way you address those needs, is critical to creating an effective personal brand. And the more specific you can be, the better.”

#3 – Double Down on Failure

Many in business are understandably discouraged after taking a loss, let alone experiencing a series of losses or rejections. However, with a fresh point of view on failure, you just might be able to turn those setbacks into growth springboards. In fact, in his book “WTF?! (Willing to Fail),” Brian Scudamore (founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?) explores the notion of “failing upward” and, in the process, “using setbacks to change your business for the better.” He asserts that “being an entrepreneur means letting go of fear,” and I contend that all aspiring professionals (not just entrepreneurs) should embrace this paradigm.

Speaker and business guru Anthony Russo was able to wrangle his fear and rejection worries — to an extent that he built a seven-figure business in less than 18 months. Russo achieved this remarkable revenue benchmark by “doubling down,” which, as he puts it, “is the art of leveraging failure to accelerate success.” By this, he means absorbing all he passively learned from each prior failure and proactively learned about each situation by seeking and researching new tactics and trying again. While Russo concedes failure is a significant part of nearly any business process, especially company ownership, he urges that powering through can lead to success that may not just meet, but exceed, original expectations.

#4 – Fractionalize Unforeseen Problems

Unanticipated problems or events are always spontaneously occurring, and that unpredictability — especially with complications — can wreak havoc on the most well-conceived plans, sabotage timelines and send expenses soaring. This is why many companies invest so largely in prevention development teams — a strong resolution department to solve problems before and after they happen, to keep the momentum and productivity flowing. But not all companies — and certainly not individuals — have the luxury of a department team at-the-ready to alleviate the angst. Franchise and small business expert Brian Clark, owner of Service Team of Professionals (“STOP”) franchises, uses a simple method to avoid unforeseen obstacles from overtaking his businesses.

According to Clark: “Every problem can be solved by asking the right questions and breaking down the problem. Fracturing each challenge to small, accomplishable tasks will not only be less intimidating, but also easier to maneuver.” I&FMM